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PTI CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday attacked the Centre for not inviting her to the Presidential swearing-in ceremony on Thursday and said inviting people like the Ambani brothers was like "adding insult to injury". Questioning the "special qualifications" of Ambani brothers for being invited, Jaya said she and the people of the state have been "insulted and humiliated" by the denial of an invitation to her as the President hails from Tamil Nadu. THE STORY SO FAR • TN CM J Jayalalithaa hits out at the government for not inviting her for Kalam's oath-taking ceremony. • BJP chief Vankaiah Naidu says it's a Rashtrapati Bhavan function, and doesn't involve the government. • Jaya reiterates support to the NDA's vice-presidential nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. • Home Ministry clarifies that only dignitaries stationed in Delhi are invited for such functions in Delhi. In a hard-hitting four-page statement, she said the act of "deliberately omitting" the chief minister of Tamil Nadu from the list of invitees to the ceremony was an "affront" to the people of the state and an "assault" on the spirit of federalism itself. Denying press reports that she had boycotted the function as she had received only an ordinary invitation and not a special invitation, Jayalalithaa said, "No invitation was extended to me for this function by the Central government". "This attitude of the Government of India deserves to be severely condemned by all thinking people", she said. "Deliberately leaving out some chief ministers from a function associated with the unity of India can only be termed as a churlish, ham-handed attempt to derail democratic values", she said adding that it was very strange that chief ministers of some states had been favoured with an invitation while other chief ministers had been totally ignored. "What is the NDA government led by the BJP trying to achieve by this act of trying to create a caste system among the chief ministers by extending special treatment to a select few and shabby treatment to the other chief ministers", she asked. "In what way the state chief ministers are less than the Ambani brothers? What is the contribution of Ambani brothers to this country, except to enrich themselves and their families, whereas we, the state chief ministers, who have contributed so much to the public life of the country for several decades, have been treated by the government in such a humiliating manner". "What are the special qualifications of the Ambani brothers except that they happen to be the sons of a rich man? The whole matter attains greater significance in the context that we are the elected representatives of the people, who are directly responsible for the election of President", the chief minister said. "There were only 35 chief ministers in the country. The Centre should not have extended invitations to a select few and ignored the rest. Either the Central government should have invited all the chief ministers or none at all. The home ministry should not try to differentiate and discriminate between the chief ministers", she said.

Saturday, July 27, 2002

No invite to Kalam swearing-in upsets Jaya

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Microsoft to recruit 5,000 people; to invest $5 bn in R&D

Reuters Washington, July 26: At its annual meeting with Wall Street analysts here, Microsoft Corp officials outlined huge planned investments in people and products: an estimated $5.2 billion for research and development, more than $2 billion for high-end server software and overall employee-headcount growth of 10 per cent, or about 5,000 people, this year. They are bull-market numbers in a terrible economic environment, one that has wounded many technology companies and even whacked Microsoft’s shares down to a 52-week low this week. But analysts said the company, whose market power sets it apart from the rest of the industry, probably should be spending the extra moneyeven though Microsoft’s chief financial officer at one point referenced the investments.

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Late wickets leave India struggling on Day 2

NEW DELHI: Chasing England's first innings total of 487 all out, India were 130 for 3 at stumps at the end of Day 2 of the Lord's Test on Friday. The Englishmen did not know what hit them as Sehwag blasted 84 runs off 96 deliveries comprising 10 boundaries and a six before Giles, employing a negative line, frustrated him. Sehwag was bowled while trying to hit a ball pitched outside the leg stump. In the last over of the day, night watchman Nehra was trapped lbw by Flintoff for a duck. Dravid was holding fort on 33. Ganguly's decision to send in Nehra on a perfect batting track to shield the big guns in the dying overs of the day came as a surprise. Ganguly would have been well advised to stick to the original batting line-up. Hoggard set the ball rolling for England when he bowled Jaffer when India were just at 2. The ball clipped Jaffer's pad on its way to the off-stump. Dravid joined an impetuous Sehwag at the wicket, and the duo blunted the English attack. Hussain introduced Giles in the seventh over of the innings. But that was of little help as Giles relinquished bowling left-arm over the wicket, electing to come round. The find of the season for England. Simon Jones bowled at a fair clip, bowling at 90 mph. But the faster he bowled, the faster the ball flew from Sehwag's bat. The tone of the day was set by an explosive partnership between Hussain and Flintoff. This was after England, resuming from their overnight score of 257/4, lost the early wicket of Stewart trapped lbw by Zaheer Khan for 19. Hussain hit some crisp shots off the back foot while Flintoff bludgeoned the Indian bowling, playing ferociously both off the back and the front foot. England thundered on with Hussain reaching 150 and Flintoff reaching 50 by slamming Kumble for a huge six. Flintoff's quickfire 50 came off just 57 balls with nine boundaries and a six. With the score reading 356/5, Ajit Agarkar, who had taken a lot of stick on Day 1, came back to get rid of both Hussain and Flintoff in successive deliveries. However, there was little joy for India in spite of the double strike by Agarkar as Craig White and Ashley Giles took England to lunch at 372/7. In the post-lunch session, Nehra, who had been struggling to keep the ball between the wickets, finally got one through the defence of Giles. Giles was bowled for 19 off 26 balls and it seemed that India could manage to bowl England out for under 400. However, that was not to be. Debutante Simon Jones had different plans. Simon put on a 62-run partnership with White in just 10 overs, scoring 44 from just 43 balls with a six and seven fours. India's agony was cut short with Simon edging a Kumble delivery to Dravid at the slips. White made 53 off 75 balls before he was stumped off Kumble. The long suffering Indian bowlers finally heaved a sigh of relief with the English score reading 487 all out. Scoreboard: England 1st innings M. Butcher c Wasim b Kumble 29 M. Vaughan lbw b Zaheer 0 N. Hussain c Ratra b Agarkar 155 G. Thorpe b Zaheer 4 J. Crawley c Dravid b Sehwag 64 A. Stewart lbw b Zaheer 19 A. Flintoff c Ratra b Agarkar 59 C. White st Ratra b Kumble 53 A. Giles b Nehra 19 S. Jones c Dravid b Kumble 44 M. Hoggard not out 10 Extras (b11, lb11, w2, nb7) 31 Total (10 wkts, 142.2 overs, 587 mins) 487 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-71, 3-78, 4-223, 5-263, 6-356, 7-357, 8-390, 9-452, 10-487. Bowling: Nehra 30-4-101-1 Zaheer 36-13-90-3 Agarkar 21-3-98-2 Kumble 42.2-9-128-3 Ganguly 3-1-16-0 Sehwag 10-0-32-1 India 1st innings: Wasim Jaffer b Hoggard 1 V. Sehwag b Giles 84 R. Dravid not out 33 A. Nehra lbw b Flintoff 0 Extras (b4, lb5, nb3) 12 Total (3 wkts, 36.4 overs) 130 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-128, 3-130 Bowling: Hoggard 8-2-23-1 Flintoff 7.4-4-8-1 Giles 8-1-45-1 Jones 7-0-25-0 White 6-2-20-0 Toss: England Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (Rsa), Russell Tiffin (Zim) Third umpire: Peter Willey (Eng) Match referee: Mike Procter (RSA).

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Kasaravalli’s Dweepa is the best film

Master film-maker Girish Kasaravalli added another feather to his illustrious cap today when his latest creation Dweepa bagged the top honour at the National Film Awards which were swept by Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan with eight awards. Actor Murali was declared the best actor for his brilliant portrayal of a committed social worker caught in the web of shifting values in Malayalam film Neythukaran while Tabu and Shobana shared the best actress award for their roles in Chandni Bar and Mitr - My Friend respectively. The jury, headed by Malayalam film-maker K S Sethu Madhavan, selected B Lenin the best director for the film Ooruku Nooruper (Tamil) while the Indira Gandhi Award for the Best First Film of a director went to Tiladaanam (Telugu) directed by Kolar-born film critic K N T Sastry. Produced by actress Soundarya, Dweepa was selected the best feature film for giving a human face to the topical theme of displacement of people to make way for development projects. According to the jury, The film combines integrity, creativity and aesthetics in its depiction of both the dilemmas and the spirit of a family who defy logic and weather to hold on to their roots. Sources in the jury told Deccan Herald after the awards were announced that the film faced tough competition for the top prize from Madhur Bhandarkar’s Chandni Bar, a stark depiction of the lives of Mumbai’s bar girls which won four awards. The best cinematography award also went to Dweepa, thanks to the excellent camera work by H M Ramachandra Halkere who captured the agrarian milieu with strong visual metaphors. His work stands out for its deft handling of the situation, social vignettes and characters, Mr Sethu Madhavan said announcing the award. The best Kannada feature film award went to Atithi directed by P Sheshadri for addressing the universal affliction of terrorism and its impact on innocent lives, and human relations.. Lagaan, which won the award for the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment for showing the victory of the human spirit in the face of oppression and for the creative use of cricket game as a metaphor for both colonisation and nationalism, also bagged the honours in seven other categories. The Nargis Dutt Award for the Best Feature Film on National Integration went to Jyoti Sarup-directed Kashmiri film Bub for exploring the problems of the minority community in the face of terrorist activities, while Chandni Bar won the award for the best film on social issues other than family welfare as well as those for best supporting actor (Atul Kulkarni) and best supporting actress (Annanya Khare). Other awards went to Baby P Shweta (child artiste for Tamil film Kutty), Sadhna Sargam (female playback singer for the song Paatu Cholli in the Tamil film Udayageethavin Azhahi), Neelakanta (screenplay in Telugu film Show), Beena Paul (editing for Mitr), Janaki Vishwanathan (special jury award in direction for Kutty) and M J Raju (special effects in Tamil film Aalavandaan). The best film critic award went to Hindi critic Vinod Anupam while a special mention was made of Dr C S Venkiteswaran (English).

Saturday, July 27, 2002

All party meet to discuss electoral reforms

The Centre has called for an all-party meeting today to discuss the draft bill on electoral reforms. Politicians, cutting across party lines had unitedly rejected a Supreme Court directive on electoral reform that asked candidates contesting elections to make details of their criminal records and financial assets public. But even the new legislation proposed by the government has not been entirely welcome. The draft bill, a brain child of the Minister of State for Law Ravi Shankar Prasad, has run into trouble with the rumbles of dissent coming especially from the Congress and the Left front. The new draft bill has done away with the Supreme Court guidelines asking candidates to make their assets public. But the Congress says that the candidates must disclose their assets for public knowledge without any fear of being disqualified. The Left parties on the other hand have opposed the bill's new clause that asks for disqualification of candidates who have been charged by a court for two heinous crimes. They say that the clause would be prone to abuse for political reasons. "Some parties have reservations and they are insisting that we only go for conviction and not charges framed. But that is already there, so what was the need for the Supreme Court then. The important issue is to acknowledge that criminalisation has eaten into our politics," said Ravi Shankar Prasad. The politicians were clearly apprehensive about making any public disclosures, which could affect their chances during the election. But this would essentially bring the situation back to square one for the electoral reform process.

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Filmstars to shell out lesser tax

MUMBAI: Income-tax authorities have some good news for those Bollywood artists who have set up their own companies. Henceforth, artists will be taxed only on income generated by them in their individual capacity, and not on income generated by their company. That means, individual income won’t be clubbed together with income generated by the company for taxation. The Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Mumbai, ruling on a complaint by playback singer Nitin Mukesh Mathur, said that an artist’s income is separate from the income of his company, and these two could not be clubbed together for the purpose of taxation. Mr Mathur had invested in a company called Nitin Mukesh Films, the entire share capital which was contributed by the artist, his wife and two children. The total paid up capital was 900 shares of Rs 10 each. The artist held 705 shares. The artist had entered into an agreement with the company by which all his programmes would be arranged by it. The company has exclusive rights to negotiate on behalf of the artist for film shows and sound recordings. The artist was entitled to a professional fee as per the revenue receipts of the company, as well as a salary of Rs 6000, free telephone and reimbursement of medical expenses and 50% of maintenance expense on residence. The assessing officer was not satisfied with this arrangement and came to the conclusion that the entire arrangement was to avoid tax liability. According to him, the company was nothing but a reflected image of the artist. The officer followed the Supreme Court judgement in Juhilal Kamalapat Vs CIT (73 ITR 702) and McDowell & Co Vs CIT cases, and added Rs 2.3 lakh earned by the company to the income of the assessee. The commissioner (appeal), however, disagreed with the assessing officer and held that there was no justification for this addition. It is for the assessee to arrange his affairs in such a way that the interest of his profession and business are without infringement of any law. The department filed an appeal before the ITAT against this order. It was on this appeal that ITAT gave the order. The ITAT also referred to an earlier Bombay High Court order, on an appeal filed by film star Saira Banu on a similar addition made in ’72-73. In that case also, the assessing officer had added the income of the company to her individual income, on the ground that the company was controlled by Saira Banu’s brother and mother. The High Court had then held that Ms Banu was taxable for only the money paid by the company to her and not all the money generated by the company. Among the current stars who have companies are Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Ajay Devgun and Kajol.

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Gavaskar not happy with Sachin's away record

PTI LONDON: As India take on England in the current Test match at Lord's, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has raised the question whether Sachin Tendulkar was an underachiever abroad. Ever since Tendulkar has made his debut for India, the cricketing world has delighted in his exploits but India has not won a Test series outside the sub-continent all these years, nor any one day international of note till the recent NatWest series where his contribution in the final was minimal, Gavaskar wrote in The Telegraph newspaper. Tendulkar's highest score of 69 in India's last ten One-day finals, does not do "his awesome talent justice at all," Gavaskar said. Even as Gavaskar ticked off the maestro for not achieving more with his bat for his country overseas, English media dwelt on how Tendulkar was capable of turning the record books upside down if he continued to play till he was 40. "Don Bradman played 52 Test matches for Australia and no one-day internationals in a career that lasted 16 years. Tendulkar plays for India, on an average, every ten days. "If Tendulkar goes on until he is 40, as Bradman did, he may well finish with something in excess of 40,000 runs and 120 hundreds in Tests and one-day internationals, a record that can prove as unassailable as Bradman's own," said noted writer John Woodcock. Today there is the universal consensus that Tendulkar is the best batsman in the game, which is some commendation when you consider that at 33, Brian Lara is in his prime (and Tendulkar is 29), Woodcock said in the write-up that appeared in a special issue of The Times. Woodcock says the intention of his writing was not to compare Tendulkar and Bradman but to celebrate "a wonderful little Indian player - insatiable, resourceful, unflinching and orderly". "Bradman, I believe, would have been proud to play the modern game as well as Tendulkar does, just as Tendulkar, like all of us, stands in awe of Bradman." Narrowing down to the current Test series between India and England, he said, the more Tendulkar plays against the same opposition, the more, in theory, they should be able to work out how to rein him in. "In India last winter England were reduced to getting their slow left-armer, Ashley Giles, to bowl from over the wicket into the rough, a foot or more outside Tendulkar's leg stump, leaving him either to risk playing the sweep, made hazardous by the uncertain bounce of the ball, to pad the ball away or to be tempted into something wildly exotic. The whole episode was an act of submission by England, less violent but no less abject than the bodyline to which they resorted all those years ago to keep Bradman in check. It will be the greatest pity if Giles adopts the same cynical ploy in this series: the umpires have it in their power to prevent it."

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Militants planning big strikes in J&K: Army

NEW DELHI: A day before US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s arrival in the region to yet again press for de-escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, the Army on Friday said latest radio intercepts indicated that Pakistan-based terrorists were preparing for major strikes in Jammu and Kashmir next month. According to Army intelligence reports, as many as 500 al-Qaeda operatives amassed in Pakistan’s Northern Areas like Gultari were also in close contact with the 1,500 to 2,000 Laskhar, Jaish and Hizb militants stationed at different ‘‘launch pads’’ along the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Radio communication among various terrorist outfits, intercepted by the Army, show that orders have been issued to their cadres in J&K to engage in ‘‘toofani action’’ in August. The aim will be to spread widespread terror by targeting the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and Independence Day functions on August 15. ‘‘The militants also want to disrupt the forthcoming assembly elections in J&K in a major way. The communication among different outfits has increased in the last two weeks,’’ said a senior Army officer, armed with radio intercepts. One intercept, for instance, talks about targeting National Conference leaders or any other group which wants to participate in the polls. A PoK-based militant radio even broadcast that ‘‘Hizbul Mujahideen ne elan kiya hai jo bhi shakas namiyad election main hissa lega usko maut ke ghat utar diya jeyege (Hizbul Mujahideen has proclaimed that anybody who participates in the forthcoming elections will be killed)’’. ‘‘Contrary to what the US and UK claim, infiltration into J&K has not come down drastically...it has reduced roughly by only 30 to 40 per cent. We also have information that militants have procured around 200 satellite phones of Chinese-origin to augment their communication links,’’ said the officer. In the last 30 days, Indian forces have foiled six major infiltration attempts along the LoC. ‘‘But for every thwarted attempt, three to four succeed,’’ said an officer. Army officers also rubbished Pakistan’s claim that New Delhi had flown some Al-Qaida and Taliban prisoners from Northern Afghanistan to India. Pakistan, they said, had levelled the charge to pre-empt possibilities of Indian forces killing or capturing Al-Qaida operatives sneaking into the Kashmir valley. The officers also maintained that the number of civilian casualties in Kashmir had been ‘‘intentionally exaggerated’’ by Pakistan. They said the civilian casualties, between 1990 and now, stood at 12,817.

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Vice-President Krishna Kant dies

Vice-President Krishan Kant died on Saturday morning of a massive heart attack. He was 75. According to his family members, Krishan Kant developed chest pain at around 7 a.m. and within ten minutes was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). A team of doctors tried to revive him with external and internal pace makers and by ''all means'', but he was declared dead at 8.45 a.m., AIIMS Medical Superintendent Dr R K Sarma said. His body has been sent for embalming, he said. His wife and children were at his bedside when he died. ''The vice-president had possibly died much before being rushed to AIIMS as rigor motis had set in,'' according to a doctor who attended on him. An emergency cabinet meeting has been called at 11.30 a.m. The meeting will be presided over by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Kantbecame vice-president in 1997 and was to complete his five-year term on August 12.

Thursday, July 25, 2002

Kalam sworn in as 11th President of the Republic

A P J Abdul Kalam was on Thursday sworn in the 11th President of the Republic in the presence of school children and a galaxy of dignitaries, including scientists and political leaders, with the missile man unveiling his vision of a developed India, telling the youth "small aim is a crime". At a half-an-hour ceremony in the packed Central Hall of Parliament, Kalam wearing a black "bandgala" and his trademark long hair, was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice B N Kirpal minutes before the scheduled 1000 hours. In a swearing-in which was slightly different from earlier such ceremonies, a 100 school children were invited, a desire expressed by Kalam himself. The students, all over ten years of age, lined the Central Hall in their respective school uniforms. A highlight of Kalam's ten-minute speech was the emphasis on youth and children, with the President himself conveying the "song of youth" to achieve the "vision of a Developed India". The function began before time, soon after outgoing President K R Narayanan arrived with Kalam from Rashtrapati Bhawan after which they entered the Central Hall in a procession accompanied by Vice President Krishan Kant, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi and Justice Kirpal. After taking their seats on the dais with Narayanan in the centre and the oath-taking, Kalam and Narayanan exchanged seats in the backdrop of a loud applause and a 21-gun salute. 18:30 IST

Thursday, July 25, 2002

Sukh Ram granted regular bail in telecom scam case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday suspended the sentences of former Communication Minister Sukh Ram and the two others accused in the telecom scam case and granted them regular bail. The two co-accused are telecom official Runu Ghosh and P Ramarao, former managing director of Hyderabad-based firm Advance Radio Masts (ARM). Justice M A Khan while suspending the sentence of the accused rejected the plea of Ghosh for suspension of her conviction. Sukh Ram and Ramarao had not pleaded for suspension of their conviction. Granting regular bail to all the accused, the court directed them to furnish personal bail bonds of Rs 25,000/- each and surety of the like amount before the trial court. A designated CBI court had convicted them on July 5. While, Sukh Ram and Ramarao were sentenced to three years Rigorous Imprisonment and fine of Rs two lakh each, Ghosh was awarded two years jail term with a fine of Rs one lakh. Ghosh, a senior telecom official, who was posted at Ahmedabad when the judgement was pronounced by the trial court has since been put under suspension by the government. Imposing certain conditions on the accused while granting them bail the court said they would not leave the country without its permission and deposit their passport with the CBI. However, Ramarao's counsel Arun Jaitley submitted that his passport is already with the CBI. 18:30 IST

Thursday, July 25, 2002

Shekhawat, Shinde locked in straight fight for Vice-Prez poll

NDA nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Opposition's Sushil Kumar Shinde are the only candidates in fray for the Vice-Presidential election after scrutiny of nomination papers which ended on Thursday. Of the 27 nomination papers filed, 19 were rejected on non-fulfilment of various criteria, Secretary General of Lok Sabha G C Malhotra told reporters here. While four of the nomination papers were in Shinde's name, two were for Shekhawat, he said. 18:30 IST

Thursday, July 25, 2002

Curfew imposed in three areas of Ranchi

Curfew was imposed on Thursday in three areas of the city where largescale violence broke out during Wednesday's dawn-to-dusk bandh which left five persons dead and 25 injured. Inspector General of Police (operation) R C Kaithal said curfew was clamped in Doranda, Hatia and Jagannathpur. The curfew was imposed at 5 am on Thursday and would remain in force till 5 am on Friday. 14:55 IST

Thursday, July 25, 2002

India condemns Israeli strike on Gaza Strip

India has "strongly" deplored the Israeli missile attack on a housing complex in Gaza Strip and called for an immediate end to violence and resumption of dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis. Addressing an emergency meeting of the Security Council called on Wednesday to discuss the attack, United Nations Ambassador V. K. Nambiar called upon Israel to conduct itself in a manner "that is fully consistent with international humanitarian law." "Even while we have noted the statement by Israel that the deaths of civilians was a 'mistake,' we cannot but strongly deplore this act of unwarranted violence and indiscriminate killings at a time when serious efforts are afoot to broker de-escalatory measures," he said. Regretting the loss of lives in the two years since the latest "spiral of aggravated action and reaction" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began, he urged the Council to call for necessary measures to bring an end to the current tragic situation. Referring to "threat of economic collapse and social destitution looming over occupied territories," Nambiar told the international community that it is time to act "proactively" to reduce the suffering and depravation faced by Palestinians. India, he said, attaches great importance to ongoing efforts by the Quartet and to the initiative of Saudi Arabia endorsed by the Arab League in Beirut which is aimed at achieving "comprehensive, just and lasting peace". 18:30 IST

Monday, July 22, 2002

Osama may be in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir: US expert

Osama bin Laden is alive and hiding, constantly moving between Pakistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan, the author of a 1999 biography of the al-Qaeda leader said Sunday. "To the best of my knowledge, he is alive," Yossef Bodanski, a consultant to the US House of Representatives, told Fox News. Bin Laden "is very much in control of his people, of the activities of the elite network that answer to him or admire him," he said. "There is communication with his people. He has maintained communication with his supporters." Bodanski said bin Laden "is shuttling between the Afghanistan panhandle, Pakistani-controlled Kashmir and certain segments of the northwestern part of Pakistan and sometimes crossing into Afghanistan." The elusive bin Laden was seen for the last time two to three weeks ago by an unnamed "credible source," he said. "He's trying to dodge enemies, and the level of activity is such that he cannot have vanished completely," he said. "We don't know enough in real time in order to be able to get him, but we have a fairly good idea of what he's doing." Bodanski said Pakistani intelligence services "are actively supporting and assisting" bin Laden, who travels with an all-male inner circle of less than 12 commanders and 30-60 bodyguards. Bin Laden also about nine doubles to decieve captors, part of "a very elaborate system of deception and disinformation in order to shield him," he said. Bodanski, who has been following Bin Laden since the 1980s, is author of the 1999 biography "Bin Laden: The Man who Declared War on America."

Monday, July 22, 2002

VHP flexes muscles as British MPs plan visit

LONDON: In an indication of their intense and continuing interest in the aftermath of the Gujarat violence, eight MPs of Britain’s governing Labour Party have said they will visit the state to get "a clearer picture of the situation on the ground", even as a ding-dong battle has begun between Muslim organisations and the VHP for Labour's heart and soul. MPs, who include some from Muslim constituencies, such as Terry Rooney of Bradford and Fabian Hamilton of Leeds, have dismissed the Indian government’s oft-stated concern that British politicians are making domestic capital out of foreign issues, with one eye on the Muslim votebank. In March, India criticised the British High Commission's leaked report into the Gujarat violence and asked other countries to mind their own business. But Rooney, who announced the MPs’ forthcoming visit at a 400-strong public meeting in Bradford late on Saturday, told TNN the new fact-finding mission to India was an expression of "concern about human rights". He said, "the Indian government always churns out such nonsense when anyone wants to visit from anywhere. They should know that people do care about human rights abuses. One has to ask, why are the Indian government is so afraid. Perhaps they do have something to hide". Rooney confirmed that the MPs would visit Gujarat and Kashmir in October. Rooney’s passionate words come after a series of well-attended public meetings about Gujarat, organised across Britain by disparate Muslim organisations and attended in most cases by local Labour Party MPs and leading Labour activists. The organisations, which include several Indian Gujarati Muslim groups, told this paper they were seeking to keep up the pressure on Tony Blair’s government to demand answers from the Indian government and redressal for the victims of the Gujarat violence. Ismail Lahir of the 1,000-member Federation of Gujarati Muslim Organisations, which organised Saturday’s Bradford meeting, told TNN they wanted to focus on "the 100,000 Gujarat refugees still in camps, who are homeless in their own country". More controversially, said Lahir, the Bradford meeting renewed its call for the British government "to include the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the list of banned terrorist organisations". The call for the VHP to be banned has been put to several Labour MPs with sizeable numbers of Muslim constituents. The VHP, however, said it had been assured by British home secretary David Blunkett and junior home minister Angela Eagle that nothing of the sort would happen. VHP spokesman Hasmukh Shah told this paper that he met Blunkett and foreign secretary Jack Straw just before Straw’s departure for India last week. "The VHP is a registered charity. This is serious mischief by Muslims, a case of sour grapes because attention is focussed on most British mosques, whose madrasas breed extremists". The VHP, he said, would now lobby Blair’s Labour Party seeking answers to the question why its MPs were lending support to meetings where the VHP was referred to as a terrorist organisation.

Monday, July 22, 2002

Mamata seeks Nitish's removal; threatens stir

KOLKATA: Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday issued an ultimatum to the Centre to reverse railway minister Nitish Kumar’s order on the bifurcation of Eastern and SouthEastern Railways within July 24 or else face prospects of a 72-hour bandh from July 25. The NDA partner made it clear that she would not hesitate to join forces with even the Congress and the Left Front to stop bifurcation of the ER and the SER. She appealed to her political adversaries to support the bandh call. I don’t need a berth in the Union Cabinet, she said. But I want the railway bifurcation to stop, she said, making it clear that she would not respond to overtures to rejoin the Cabinet unless she received a clear assurance from the Centre. We have faith in Vajpayeeji. But we have waited long enough. The Centre will have to reverse the orders. Otherwise, we will call a 72-hour Bangla Bandh from the following day. Trinamul Congress is not against the NDA but we will not let one man’s whims divide Bengal and Bihar, the former minister thundered at a public meeting at Kolkata’s business hub of Esplanade. And as she issued her threat, her voice rose over the sound of thunder and rain which lashed the city in the afternoon. The rally was organised to mark the ninth anniversary of Sahid Diwas when 11 Congress supporters were killed in an altercation with the police in Kolkata. Letting other leaders explain the significance of ‘Martyrs Day’, Mamata herself dwelt on the bifurcation problem for most of her speech. Keep your ears glued to the radio and TV sets on Wednesday.We will announce our plan of action in the afternoon, she said as she addressed a huge crowd from atop a 50-feet-high stage. Not to be dissuaded by the heavy rain, Mamata thundered: are all for unity and peace. But that doesn’t mean we will allow someone take away what is rightfully ours. Let Bihar improve, but surely not at the cost of another state, she said Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Bihar Kirti Azad, sitting next to her, looked on. The firebrand leader also threw the ball in Congress and Left Front courts when she openly invited them join her in the fight to save West Bengal. Let us forget our political differences for the time being. The CPM has a rally on Monday on the same issue. I would happily join them or the Congress if they gave call for a sustained agitation and a bandh. But I invite them to join us too in our call. Let us unite on this issue once, Mamata said.

Monday, July 22, 2002

Missile plans way behind schedule

NEW DELHI: First, the good news. The defence ministry now says the 700-km range Agni-I ballistic missile needs just one more test, which will be conducted soon, before entering the production and induction phase. The not-so-good news is the country’s missile development programme, launched as far back as in 1983, still remains enmeshed in time and cost overruns. Here’s an update, with revised induction schedules, on the different missile systems: Prithvi: This tactical surface-to-surface missile, with a strike range of 150 km with a one-tonne warhead, is the only one to be ‘‘fully inducted’’ into the Army so far. Handled by the Army’s 333rd Missile Group, this ‘‘battlefield support weapon’’ has been forward deployed since the Indo-Pak stand-off began seven months ago. Prithvi’s naval (Dhanush) and IAF (P-II) versions, with strike ranges of 250 km with 500 kg warheads, are being ‘‘operationalised’’ after several tests. Agni range: The 2,000-km-plus range Agni-II, which confers an operational capability of delivering 1,000-kg payloads beyond the range of combat aircraft, is now also on way to being ‘‘fully inducted’’ into the Army. The latter is raising an ‘‘Agni Missile Group’’. The ‘‘development work’’ of the road-mobile Agni-I, which bridges the range-gap between Prithvi and Agni-II, ‘‘has been completed’’ and it will undergo serial production after one more test. The Agni-III, with a 3,500-plus km range, in turn, is likely to be tested only towards end-2003 or early-2004. Akash and Trishul: These surface-to-air missiles, lagging several years behind schedule, have fared the worst. The government has, time and again, failed to deliver on their induction schedules due to snags in guidance and propulsion technologies. The Navy, for instance, was compelled to go in for the Israeli Barak anti-missile systems for its warships due to repeated slippages in the Trishul programme. The Navy reckons Trishul will be ready only by 2004-2005. With the 9-km range naval Trishul and 25-km range Akash being tested again recently, the ministry says their development work is now ‘‘expected to be completed by December 2003’’, after which they will be ready for user trials, production and induction. Nag: This 4-km range anti-tank guided missile, with ‘‘top-attack’’ and ‘‘fire-and-forget’’ capabilities, is another sad story. Despite 44 test launches, the ministry says Nag’s development work can be completed only by December 2004. The user trials and production will follow thereafter. BrahMos: This supersonic anti-ship 300-km range cruise missile, first tested in June 2001, has been developed jointly with Russia. But induction of BrahMos will be possible only by 2004. ‘‘It should enter serial production towards end-2003 after some more developmental flights,’’ said an official. Then, of course, there is the quest for the submarine-launched ballistic missile Sagarika and the beyond visual range air-to-air missile Astra . But their realisation is several years into the future.

Monday, July 22, 2002

New twist to Xerox scandal

New Delhi July 21. The Xerox ModiCorp Ltd. (XML) made sizeable payments to "fictitious" companies in cash and through bank drafts, of which a percentage was deducted and the rest paid back to the company, the accounting firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), has said. The PWC, which conducted a detailed investigation into the functioning of XML Indian arm of PWC after being alerted about the possibility of XML's books of accounts not being in order, has submitted its report to the Department of Company Affairs (DCA). According to the report, fictitious companies were paid certain charges ``apparently styled as commissions, discounts and handling charges'' in cash and bank drafts. ``Five per cent of each such payment was deducted by these fictitious companies and the balance returned to Xerox ModiCorp,'' it said adding that the deduction in each such transaction had not been accounted for in XML's books of accounts. When contacted, the Xerox Corporation's spokesperson in London, Paul Arrowsmith, said ``I have yet to study the report and cannot make any comments.'' The ModiCorp chief, B. K. Modi, also declined comment on the XML bribery issue. Sources said that as much as Rs. 3.6 crores might have been paid in bribes by the XML at a time when the B. K. Modi group held majority stake in the copier company. In another development, the Income Tax department claimed to have recovered nearly Rs. 1.10 crores in unaccounted cash, besides unaccounted investment in shares and fixed deposits worth nearly Rs. 1 crore, during the raids on XML earlier this week. The department also found that tax had been evaded to the tune of Rs. 25 crores Rs. 5 crores for each year by the company. In a report submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the U.S., the Xerox Corporation had admitted earlier this month that its Indian subsidiary, Xerox Modicorp, made ``improper payments'' to secure Government contracts. The DCA, meanwhile, has served a notice to the XML to submit its accounts by July 23 and accused it of not cooperating in the investigation.

Monday, July 22, 2002

US-64 On A Turnaround Path

NAV grows by over 12.23% in last 6 months Mumbai, July 21: US-64, the flagship scheme of the Unit Trust of India (UTI), appears to be on a turnaround path. The latest report by Value Research, an outfit tracking mutual funds, has listed the fund in second position in the past one month in a basket of 37 balance fund schemes. Despite tough market conditions, the net asset value (NAV) of US-64, with assets worth Rs 13,535 crore, has grown by over 12.23 per cent in the last six months. The country’s largest scheme not only outperformed many of its peers in the last six months, but outperformed the benchmark BSE-30 Sensex by a huge margin through a disciplined rebalancing and churning process. Since US-64 was made open ended for sale and repurchase at NAV-based prices from January 1 this year, the scheme has outperformed the Sensex by a huge margin. The scheme appreciated by 12.23 per cent to Rs 6.70 as on July 9, 2002, from Rs 5.97 as on January 1, 2002. However, during the same period, the Sensex gained by a paltry 3.45 per cent. Said UTI equity schemes chief investment officer AK Shridhar: During the year, we have reduced the skewedness of the top 10 stocks and made the portfolio more diversified, despite tough market conditions. From July 2001 till date, there were some problems or the other which negatively impacted the market the terrorist attack in the United States on September 11, the attack on Parliament, escalation of war fears between India and Pakistan, Gujarat carnage, US accounting frauds and again rising tension on India-Pak border, Mr Sridhar said. Except for a pre-budget rally in February, the rest 11 months were bad for the market. Mr Shridhar said despite all these negatives, US-64 was able to sell equity shares worth Rs 2,400 crore without really impacting the market and with a steady rise in NAV. This clearly indicates that even if the current year is a normal year, the scheme can balance its portfolio. During the year to July 2002, a major thrust appears to have been given to diversify the US-64 portfolio. During the period, the percentage share of Reliance Industries to the total equity portion dipped to 14.96 per cent as against 23.4 per cent a year back, while the share of Reliance Petroleum dropped to 7 per cent from 10.18 per cent. On June 30, 2001, the total assets under management (AUM) of the scheme was at Rs 17,065 crore, with the equity portion being 65.80 per cent at Rs 11,228 crore and the balance in the form of debt. By deducting the dividend pay-off of Rs 1,280 crore (10 per cent) as on July 2001, the AUM of US-64 stood at Rs 15,785 crore. As on June 30, 2002, the AUM of the scheme stood at Rs 13,535 crore a drop of 14.25 per cent to its net AUM (after deducting dividend pay-off). During July 2001-June 2002, the equity size has dropped by Rs 3,170 crore or 28.23 per cent to Rs 8,058 crore. The latest portfolio of US-64 indicates that the equity portion has slipped to 59.35 per cent. Of this, the contribution of top 10 companies fell to 52.86 per cent as on June 30, 2002, from 60.87 per cent a year back. As on December 31, 2002, UTI has to bring down its equity exposure to a maximum of 55 per cent and a minimum of 25 per cent. The scheme has reduced the number of companies from over 1,200 to around 900 now and to maintain its NAV, US-64, for the first time since its inception, skipped dividend this year.

Monday, July 22, 2002

More cuts in rates of ILD calls in the offing

INTERNATIONAL long-distance (ILD) call rates, slashed overnight by close to 40 per cent, are expected to go down even further in the next couple of weeks. According to senior officials of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) - the incumbent ILD operator with a near monopoly in the market - unlike the STD rates that allow for very little flexibility, there is a scope for further reduction in ISD tariffs. Once competition hots up, there will be no alternative for the company but to outprice other operators. Although, at present, only Bharti Telesonic has operationalised its services, forcing VSNL to bring down its tariffs, the other operators, including Data Access, Reliance and even Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) are waiting in the wings. In fact, Data Access, which is expected to commercially launch its operations in a couple of days, has already received the approval from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for its tariff structure which is significantly lower than that of Bharti's. That being the case, both VSNL and Bharti will be forced to resort to another round of tariff cuts pretty soon. Moreover, the officials noted that with competition from the private sector hotting up, VSNL has now decided to diversify its portfolio of ILD services by deploying Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) nodes at all its gateways. The company is in the process of testing a range of VoIP products as well as the billing systems that will have to be put in place. "While the existing infrastructure will continue to form the backbone of its ILD operations, VSNL will also offer customers a choice of making cheaper international calls through its VoIP nodes. The calls that will be routed through the VoIP nodes will be a separate service at rates which might be comparable to the tariffs that are being offered by ISPs for Internet telephony", the officials noted. They said that the company, which has already been granted the national long distance (NLD) licence, would also be deploying VoIP network for these operations in the months to come. This will also bring STD rates tumbling down. For that matter, the incumbent NLD operator, BSNL, has already embarked on a pilot project seeking to deploy its VoIP network linking the six cities of Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Pune. This is expected to bring the STD rates down by a further 30 per cent. By deploying the VoIP network, VSNL plans to resort to aggressive price cuts both in the ILD and NLD sectors to take on the competition. Although the tariffs for these services on the VoIP network have not been fixed as yet, they will be significantly lower than the existing rates, the officials said.

Sunday, July 21, 2002

I'm clear about my duties, says Kalam

NEW DELHI: President elect APJ Abdul Kalam says he is very clear that President has to protect the Constitution and he is not unduly worried about criticism that he is a political novice or has the strong backing of Sangh Parivar to his nomination. All set to takeover the highest constitutional office in four days, he talks of a vision for development of India notwithstanding the fact the country does not have an Executive Presidency. Seventy-one-year-old Avul Pakir Jainalabudeen Abdul Kalam, who will soon occupy the country's best known address, Rashtrapati Bhawan, still receives every visitor at the door and sees them off at his modest DRDO Guest House in Asiad Village in south Delhi. The visitors range from Governor SS Barnala to bureaucrats to a middle aged couple with two children, probably an old acquaintance. During an interview, he was asked about his priorities and how he was preparing to handle perhaps the toughest job of his life. "It is very clear. There is a constitutional requirement. The President has to ensure that the constitutional aspects are protected." Asked about criticism about the strong backing given by Sangh Parivar to his initial nomination as the Presidential candidate, he said, "all one billion people in India are my friends. There is no difference between one and the other to me." In his trademark style he repeated, "all one billion people in India are my friends" and asked the reporter to answer, "how many billion people do we have"? About left parites criticism that he was a political novice for Presidential post, Kalam said, he was not new to politics. "I have worked with six Prime Ministers. From launching satellites to conducting nuclear tests there is politics. There is a question of national and international aspects." "But differences in democracy are natural. You have to face some sort of criticism but all the one billion Indians are my friends. When you work with various Prime Ministers you are part of the political system, politics is not new to me". Kalam also had words of praise for his Presidential rival Captian Lakshmi Sahgal. "I was a fan of Lakshmi Sahgal when I was a school boy. I used to admire her contribution to the freedom struggle." Kalam also spoke of his passion -- a vision for India's development. "I am interested in a vision. India should have vision. India should become a developed nation in 20 years. It will be my endeavour to achieve it". When asked how he would realise it he said, "I have to naturally see that it (vision) should be discussed in Parliament and by the government. My job is to see that it is put through Parliament". Asked whether he could accomplish this as India does not have an Executive Presidency, he said, "I feel President is President. He has to put his office to such use".

Sunday, July 21, 2002

Straw's peace mission makes no headway

NEW DELHI: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's peace mission to the region on Saturday showed no sign of making any headway to de-escalate tension between India and Pakistan even as he renewed his call to Islamabad to do more to end infiltration of militants in Jammu and Kashmir. Straw on his return from a seven-hour visit to Islamabad on Saturday held second round of talks with External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha lasting two-and-a-half hours. Saturday's parleys at the Hyderabad House continued over dinner after which Straw left for home at the end of his third visit to the region this year to help ease Indo-Pak tension. National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra was also present at the talks. Significantly, in Islamabad, there was no meeting between between Straw and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf unlike the former's previous trips in the last six months. "Obviously, we want a permanent end to infiltration ... more needs to be done," Straw, said at the hastily organised press conference at the Chuklala air base near Islamabad, after nearly three-hour-long talks with his Pakistani counterpart Inamul Haq. "Since my previous visit and the visit of Richard Armitage (US Deputy Secretary of State), the level of infiltration has come down and we welcome it," Straw said before emplaning for New Delhi. The British foreign secretary sidestepped a question whether he was disappointed about not meeting Musharraf, saying "I came to the region to meet the new foreign minister in India and Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. I have done that and I am going".

Sunday, July 21, 2002

Narayanan denies ‘tension’ with PM

As he prepared to demit office next week with a succession of farewell interactions in Rashtrapati Bhawan, President K R Narayanan today denied he had given any media interview. The President was responding to queries from newsmen about the interview of his which appeared in the latest issue of a weekly news magazine, at a farewell interaction with media persons. The outgoing President, Mr K R Narayanan, while denying that there was any ‘’tension’’ between him and Prime Minister A B Vajpayee on the issue of the Constitution review has asserted that there should be neither ‘‘ad hoc changes’’ nor ‘’wholesale changes’’ or new approach to the statute. Mr Narayanan, who had in the past spoken against a revision of the Constitution, described as ‘’misconception’’ that he had rebutted and even snubbed the Prime Minister on the issue of the Constitution review at the function to celebrate the golden jubilee of the Republic. ‘’There was no tension at all. I had returned a recommendation of the Cabinet for imposing President's Rule and there was great speculation that we were on a course of confrontation’’, Mr Narayanan commented in an informal conversation with the news weekly ‘’The Week’’. Mr Narayanan, who is laying down office next week, recalled ‘’ when he (Mr Vajpayee) came to meet me, he said with a smile ‘’You have made history"’. In fact, he has never complained about anything. Even when his government fell by one vote, he had no complaints. From the beginning till the end, we had constant consultations and communication’’. Asked about his observation on the functioning of the country as a Republic he said there were many sectors in the Republic in which ‘’there is disorder’’ but fundamentally it was healthy and functioning all right. In response to a query on his views as custodian of the Constitution, Mr Narayanan said the Indian Constitution was unique and was one of the best in the world. He said he had turned to the Constituent Assembly debates whenever he was faced with ticklish problem for which there was no plan of action given in the Constitution and found light thrown on the Constitutional questions confronting him. ‘’That is why I have emphasised that ad hoc changes should not take place. Normal amendments as and when required should be done. There is no need to go for a wholesale change of a new approach’’, Mr Narayanan said. In the context of the recently concluded Presidential election, Mr Narayanan, in response to a query whether he had any regrets about not getting a second term, said he never intended to be a candidate. But when there was a lot of pressure from people to continue he said he would keep an open mind provided there was a consensus among political parties. ‘’That did not happen. Several parties approached me but there was no consensus. If the country really needed me I would have taken up the responsibility’’, Mr Narayanan said. During the course of his informal conversation, he said the most difficult period for him as President was when the Vajpayee government in April 1999 lost its majority in Parliament and till the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. ‘’Some sections of the media wrote that I had favoured Congress leader Sonia Gandhi by giving her plenty of time. She was not given any extraordinary treatment. She had to be called as she represented the second largest party’’, Mr Narayanan said. He said he had asked leaders of other Opposition parties because he wanted to convince the nation that all possible efforts were being made to avoid a mid- term election. Giving details of the discussions between him and Mr Vajpayee in the wake of the Vajpayee government losing its majority in Parliament in April 1999, Mr Narayanan said ‘’I had told the Prime Minister when he resigned if no other party was able to form the government, if he were to show an accretion in strength, I would consider inviting him again’’. After the Opposition parties said they could not form a viable government, Mr Narayanan said he called the Prime Minister and asked whether there was any increase in his strength. ‘’He candidly told me the position had not changed. I then advised him to convene the Cabinet and bring a resolution recommending dissolution of the Lok Sabha. All these facts have been detailed out’’, Mr Narayanan said.

Sunday, July 21, 2002

Monsoon hits capital, finally

The much awaited monsoon finally hit the Capital with full blast on Saturday bringing relief to Delhiites reeling under sweltering heat for the past couple of months. Although a slight drizzle was witnessed in parts of the Capital on Friday, the downpour on Saturday evening brought about a perceptible drop in the mercury level. People were seen rushing out of their houses and offices to witness the first showers and get themselves drenched. Children danced in the rain. The Monsoon was expected to arrive in Delhi on June 29.

Sunday, July 21, 2002

International calls to become cheaper

INTERNATIONAL long-distance (ILD) call rates, slashed overnight by close to 40 per cent, are expected to go down even further in the next couple of weeks. According to senior officials of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) the incumbent ILD operator with a near monopoly in the market unlike the STD rates that allow for very little flexibility, there is a scope for further reduction in ISD tariffs. Once competition hots up, there will be no alternative for the company but to outprice other operators. Although, at present, only Bharti Telesonic has operationalised its services, forcing VSNL to bring down its tariffs, the other operators, including Data Access, Reliance and even Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) are waiting in the wings. In fact, Data Access, which is expected to commercially launch its operations in a couple of days, has already received the approval from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for its tariff structure which is significantly lower than that of Bharti's. That being the case, both VSNL and Bharti will be forced to resort to another round of tariff cuts pretty soon. Moreover, the officials noted that with competition from the private sector hotting up, VSNL has now decided to diversify its portfolio of ILD services by deploying Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) nodes at all its gateways. The company is in the process of testing a range of VoIP products as well as the billing systems that will have to be put in place. "While the existing infrastructure will continue to form the backbone of its ILD operations, VSNL will also offer customers a choice of making cheaper international calls through its VoIP nodes. The calls that will be routed through the VoIP nodes will be a separate service at rates which might be comparable to the tariffs that are being offered by ISPs for Internet telephony", the officials noted. They said that the company, which has already been granted the national long distance (NLD) licence, would also be deploying VoIP network for these operations in the months to come. This will also bring STD rates tumbling down. For that matter, the incumbent NLD operator, BSNL, has already embarked on a pilot project seeking to deploy its VoIP network linking the six cities of Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Pune. This is expected to bring the STD rates down by a further 30 per cent. By deploying the VoIP network, VSNL plans to resort to aggressive price cuts both in the ILD and NLD sectors to take on the competition. Although the tariffs for these services on the VoIP network have not been fixed as yet, they will be significantly lower than the existing rates, the officials said.

Saturday, July 20, 2002

Straw criticised by lawmakers over arms sales to India, Pak

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who is now on a visit to India, today came under attack by a parliamentary committee for failing to block arms sales to India and Pakistan at the height of their stand off disregarding clauses forbidding arms exports during a risk of a war. A House of Commons report said that rules preventing the export of arms should have been applied with great vigour. Straw told Parliament in June that although no licence applications from India and Pakistan had been blocked, he had not personally approved any in the previous two months. However, he later said that 148 licences had been issued for India and another 18 for Pakistan. The report has been compiled by four House of Commons committees - foreign affairs, defence, trade and industry and international development. It said that the stand off should have triggered clauses which prohibited arms exports when there was a clear risk they could be used "aggressively against another country." The report said if the stand off was not serious enough to invoke the clause, then it was difficult to imagine what could happen "short of all-out war." "The stand off over Kashmir should in our view have led to its application with very great vigour," the lawmakers said. 18:20 IST

Saturday, July 20, 2002

Govt approves Rs 42.03 crore FDI proposal of USA Comm Tech Ltd

Government today approved a Rs 42.03 crore Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposal of USA Communication Technology Ltd in Kolkata-based Usha Comm India Pvt Ltd among 40 FDI cases worth Rs 76 crore. The proposals were cleared by Commerce and Industry Minister Murasoli Maran on the basis of recommendations made by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, an official release said here. USA Communications Technology Ltd's proposal is for conversion of loan into equity in the Indian venture which develops software products for the telcom sector. 16:14 IST

Saturday, July 20, 2002

Kashmir core issue, says Straw

NEW DELHI: Shedding the feel-good photo-ops of past bilaterals, India and Britain dropped their kid gloves on Friday to do some plain-speaking. While India bluntly said it would take no further steps to de-escalate until Pakistan took steps to end cross-border terrorism, visiting British foreign secretary Jack Straw identified Kashmir as the central issue between India and Pakistan and urged India to improve its human rights record in the state. The external affairs ministry spokesperson said India had conveyed its concerns about the significant amount of infiltration across the LoC. Until infiltration ended and the infrastructure of terrorism was dismantled, "we would not be able to take or spell out any further de-escalatory steps". While the spokesperson's claim that the "British side expressed understanding of this position" was borne out by Straw's assertion that Musharraf needed to take more steps before the situation was conducive for an active dialogue, he minced no words on what Britain saw as the 'central issue' between India and Pakistan Kashmir. While India had a commendable record on human rights legislation, "we will continue to encourage India to improve the human rights situation", Straw said at a joint news conference with external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha. He added that while de-escalatory steps had been taken following the decrease in infiltration and the tension had decreased, the situation continued to be "difficult". Britain, he said, would always be concerned about the situation until there was a resolution to the long-standing conflict between India and Pakistan which had Kashmir at the heart of it. Elections in J&K were on the anvil and Britain wanted to see the will of the people expresed in an environment that was free and fair. Straw, who is visiting the sub-continent at a time when the British Parliament is witnessing a row over the decision to continue arms sales to India and Pakistan at the height of tension, defended the sales decision, saying the licensing procedures were amongst the most transparent and rigorous. Discussions during Straw's visit were, however, not confined to India and Pakistan. They covered bilateral issues, including civil aviation, trade, collaboration in science and technology.

Saturday, July 20, 2002

Army recovers explosives in J&K

Troops in a state of high alert in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday recovered explosives including five kgs of RDX, and ammunition from a 'nullah' in Kathua district, defence sources said here. Army personnel were extracting stones from Bei nullah when they came across a bag filled with the explosives and ammunition, they said. The bag contained five kgs of RDX, an under barrel grenade launcher with 17 grenades, over 100 rounds of AK ammunition and some wires. The explosives are understood to have been brought in from across the border for sobatoge activities in Jammu, they added.

Saturday, July 20, 2002

US reviewing travel warning to India: Rocca

WASHINGTON: US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca has said that the travel warning to India issued by the State Department was under constant review. During a Congressional hearing on Thursday, Rocca assured the co-Chariman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans Sen. Ed Royce that the travel warning to India was under constant review. Royce had urged the administration to reassess its warning saying it was adversely affecting commerce between US and India. He said that promoting trade and investment between the United States and India is a primary goal of the India Caucus. This objective is harmed by perceptions that India is on the brink of conflict, he said. "Protecting Americans is our government's paramount concern, and that means having the most accurate travel reports possible. Given the growing US-India relationship, I am pleased that the State Department has India's travel recommendation status under constant review," he added.

Saturday, July 20, 2002

Modi govt quits, seeks dissolution of House

Amidst intense political confabulations, the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat today resigned, recommending dissolution of the House, eight months ahead of schedule in order to gain electoral benefits from the communal violence that claimed over 800 lives, mostly Muslims. Analysts feel that it is an apparent bid to force early assembly elections, but sources here said that the Election Commission (EC) is not keen on holding early elections. BJP general secretary and spokesman Arun Jaitley met the Election Commissioner and is understood to have discussed the possibility of holding early polls. The EC declined to comment on the Gujarat Cabinet decision to dissolve the assembly and go for early polls saying all factors will have to be looked into before taking a decision. The EC has to consider all the factors, including the conduct of a free and fair poll in the state, the EC sources said. Mr Jaitley met Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh and the two Election Commissioners T S Krishnamurthy and B B Tandon here. The BJP plans to hold elections there in late September or early October because the new house should meet within six months of the last session which ended in April this year. However, the EC sources said the Commission would have to consider the constitutional provisions which give powers to the Commission to decide on elections and supervise them. The Congress, which has been opposing early elections in Gujarat, today said it is ready for these polls even though it felt the time is not ripe for holding elections. Party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy endorsed the viewpoint of the EC that it is not the right time for holding elections in Gujarat.

Saturday, July 20, 2002

India refuses to withdraw troops

INDIA today firmly conveyed to Britain that it would not take any further diplomatic and military de-escalatory steps until Pakistan took credible and visible measures to end terrorist infiltration. Our disquiet, our unease, our unhappiness that Pakistan has failed to deliver on the promises it has made was categorically and unambiguously conveyed to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mrs Nirupama Rao told newsmen here this evening. The spokesperson was briefing reporters following Mr Straw’s separate discussions with External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and prime minister’s Principal Secretary and National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra. To a specific question whether Mr Straw had suggested any specific de-escalatory step from the Indian side, Mrs Rao shot back and said: I don’t think they can expect us to take further steps even if the international community may want tensions between India and Pakistan to be reduced and dialogue resumed. ‘Infiltration must end’ Addressing a press conference at the conclusion of his discussions with the two Indian leaders, Mr Straw too conceded that an end to infiltration was an essential pre-requisite for Indo-Pak talks and a peaceful resolution of the long-standing Kashmir problem. Giving his assessment of the current situation, he said since his last visit to the region late in May, the tension between India and Pakistan had come down. But the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) remains difficult. Straw ducks Contrary to the Indian position, Mr Straw said infiltration had come down since May but Islamabad needed to do more on that front for further easing of tensions. Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf’s commitment to permanently end infiltration, he said, was a matter of record. He ducked a specific query on whether Islamabad had taken steps to close down terrorist camps and infrastructure in the territories under its control. At the same time, he also had some advise to the Indian side. In his opening remarks at the press conference, the British foreign secretary said the Indian Government should improve the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir. We will continue to encourage (improvement of) human rights (situation) in Kashmir. He also hoped that the forthcoming assembly elections in the state would be free and fair. Consultation mission Mr Straw, who is scheduled to leave for Islamabad on Saturday morning, said in response to a query that he was not carrying any specific message from the Indian Government to the Pakistani military rulers. He was essentially on a consultation mission. The British foreign secretary would return to New Delhi on Saturday night en route to Britain. He responded in the affirmative when asked whether he would meet Indian leaders during his brief transit halt on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Mr Straw, speaking to BBC Online, said that there could be a role for more international observers in Kashmir. But this could be possible only after a ceasefire and the consent of India and Pakistan.

Saturday, July 20, 2002

40 per cent cut in ISD rates

NEW DELHI, Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL) today cut by up to 40 per cent its international call rates to match rival Bharti but a majority of Indian subscribers would be deprived of the immediate benefits of the price war among the international carriers due to technical reasons. The new rates would be made applicable to subscribers after technical arrangements were made at various exchanges by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL). The BSNL caters to over 90 per cent of the basic telecom customers with a subscriber base of 33.5 million. New dates for applicability of new rates would be announced soon, BSNL said. Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL), currently offers basic services in Delhi and Mumbai. It said benefit of new rates would be available to its customers in Delhi and Mumbai from mid-night today. "We have already deployed our staff in the trunk automated exchanges to make necessary changes," Narinder Sharma, CMD of MTNL told. VSNL, which is now part of the Tata Group, in a late night statement said rates for outgoing traffic to countries in the US have been reduced by over 40 per cent, sources said. The rates for countries in Europe, Africa and the Gulf have been reduced by around 25 per cent, similar to that of Bharti group. Bharti's IndiaOne will offer peak tariff of Rs 24 per minute for calls made to US, Europe and Oceania countries while the off peak tariff for the same region would be Rs 21.18 per minute, the soures said. VSNL's rates for Saarc countries have been reduced by five per cent and these tariffs would be available through all the major access providers both basic and cellular, including the BSNL and MTNL.

Saturday, July 20, 2002

Tendulkar to launch food chain

Bombay, July 20: Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian sensation who has scored more runs in one-day matches than any other cricketer in history, has now set his sights on scaling culinary heights. The 29-year-old master blaster, whom many consider the world`s best batsman playing today, is getting ready to launch a chain of gourmet restaurants in India and later, in other cricketing nations such as England and Australia. ``Sachin is very passionate about food and is a connoisseur,`` leading Bombay restaurateur Sanjay Narang, who will team up with the cricketer for this enterprise, told Reuters. Narang, who owns a range of eateries from the hip to the elegant, will manage the venture, in which Tendulkar is the majority shareholder. The first ``Tendulkar`s`` will open in October in an upmarket Bombay locality, a stone`s throw from the historic Gateway of India, an arched doorway framing the Arabian sea. Although a popular concept in other countries such as the United States -- where basketball virtuoso Michael Jordan has successfully cashed in on his celebrity-status through similar ventures -- ``branded`` restaurants are new in India. But in a country where cricket is virtually a religion and Tendulkar a demi-god, the restaurant`s name alone could generate initial interest. Narang said, however, that the emphasis would be on good food, service and ambience. He said ``Tendulkar`s`` would subtly incorporate the underlying theme of cricket, avoiding ``in-your-face`` memorabilia. Tendulkar has chosen a minimalist Scandinavian decor, but the entrance of glass and granite would be very dramatic, said Narang. The menu would have a wide selection of contemporary international cuisine, including Indian and Oriental, with many of the batsman`s personal favourites such as Goan-style crab. ``Every item in the restaurant -- the uniforms, the lighting, the cutlery -- has been selected by Sachin,`` said Narang. ``So it is truly a reflection of his personal taste.`` Reuters

Saturday, July 20, 2002

Ganguly has made the team into a fighting unit

What a win! The Indian team deserved to get the bonus of Rs 1 crore (hoping the news is true), announced by Mr Dalmiya for winning the NatWest Trophy. However, the Indian fans would not proclaim the win as a sure shot for the team. That is basically because of a number of factors that one would weigh against the team. First, the team was always branded as chokers and bad chasers. And rightly so, till this triangular series commenced. When it came to the crunch, they wilted under pressure, not once, not twice but nine times in a row in the finals till this match! Second, the Indians never showed the will to win. But suddenly, all these failings seem to have disappeared with the wonderful victory at Lord’s. I believe the trend was set in the league matches and there was a drastic change in the attitude of the team members, thanks to the right blend of experience and the passion of youth. Both Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif dazzled and under what situation! Even Kaif’s family thought that it was all over when Sachin got out and went out to watch Devdas. Only the Aussies have chased a total of 327 runs against the South Africans until very recently. So far, the Indian plan for the next World Cup seems to be working fine. I had my doubts about Rahul keeping the wickets but he seems to be doing much better than the regular wicketkeeper. The team also has the advantage of having an extra batsman and that too a very experienced one to score runs. More runs are necessary as our bowling seems to be quite weak. The team doesn’t have a bowler at the moment who can walk into the top ten of the world. I was also dead against Sachin batting in the middle order. I had always thought that Sachin and Saurav made the best opening pair in one-dayers. I was wrong. It was a master stroke to bring Sachin in the middle order. It made a tremendous impact on stabilising the innings which only Sachin can do. He can form it properly, wait patiently, build and blast, as the situation demands. I think Saurav as a captain has also brought a sea change in the attitude of the players. He is also quite aggressive and ruthless on the field and I wasn’t surprised when he took off his shirt and waved it from the balcony. It was spontaneous and instinctive. More than that, it was also in retaliation to what Andrew Flintoff did in Mumbai after England won the match. The credit must be given to Saurav for moulding the team into a fighting unit. So, why not retain him till the World cup gets over? Well done boys! Keep it up and don’t get complacent. There are many more battles to win before the World Cup in another six months.

Saturday, July 20, 2002

Bharti dials international Tariff war hots up

BHARTI Telesonic Ltd, the long-distance telephony arm of the Bharti group, has announced the commercial launch of its international long-distance (ILD) services under its brand name `IndiaOne.' This makes it the first private operator to start operations in direct competition to the incumbent operator, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL). According to an official statement from the company, having received the mandatory security clearances from the Government, IndiaOne's services will be immediately available through almost all mobile as well as subscribers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) apart from other private fixed-line operators. The company had signed an interconnect agreement with BSNL for routing all international calls earlier this week. Bharti also hopes to sign its interconnect agreement with Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) soon and offer its services to MTNL subscribers in Delhi and Mumbai soon. The statement further notes that IndiaOne has entered into bilateral agreements with leading international carriers, accounting for over 90 per cent of the traffic coming into India. They will carry traffic to and from all parts of the world. IndiaOne, on its part, would carry voice traffic through Network i2i, the world's largest submarine cable network, a joint venture between Bharti and SingTel. According to Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Group Managing Director, Bharti, the commercial launch of IndiaOne's ILD services would "change the way India communicates with the world." As per the tariff plan offered by Bharti, peak-time call charges to the SAARC region will cost Rs 21.18 per minute as against the present Rs 21.82, while for the rest of the world it will be Rs 24 per minute as against Rs 31.30 to Rs 40 that are applicable now. For non-peak hours, the call rates for the SAARC regions are being lowered to Rs 18 from Rs 18.95 per minute and for the rest of the world at Rs 21.18 per minute from the current Rs 27.69 to Rs 36.

Thursday, July 18, 2002

Terrorists enter Doda mosque, Army lays siege

PTI JAMMU: Security forces are engaged in an encounter with an unspecified number of militants holed up in a mosque since Wednesday night in Banihal town of Doda district, official sources said here on Thursday. On a tip off that militants have entered the mosque, located on the main highway, the security forces cordoned off the area and asked them to surrender, but the terrorists instead opened fire forcing the security forces to retaliate, the sources said. During the encounter, the militants fired a rocket which damaged a house in the vicinity, the sources said, adding the operation was still continuing. The incident comes a day before the commencement of the month-long Amarnath pilgrimage that begins on Friday and the pilgrims have to pass the Banihal area to reach the cave shrine.

Thursday, July 18, 2002

Kalam elected as India's 12th President

NEW DELHI: Eminent missile technologist A P J Abdul Kalam was on Thursday elected as India's 12th President in a highly one-sided contest in which he trounced the left-backed Capt Lakshmi Sahgal bagging nearly 90 per cent vote value in a preferential system of election. 71-Year-old kalam, born in a boatman's family in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, got 4,152 votes with a vote value of 9,22,884, against Sahgal's 459 votes accounting for 1,07,366 votes value in a race in what was heavily loaded against her with the entire political spectrum supporting Kalam. Kalam will succeed K R Narayanan, the first Dalit president, whose term expires on July 24. The President elect will be sworn in at the Central Hall of Parliament the next day. Of the 4,785 MPs and MLAs who voted, 174 votes were found invalid. After a three-hour counting of votes, Kalam's election was announced by Rajya Sabha Secretary General R C Tripathi, who is also the Returning Officer. After declaring the results at a press conference here, Tripathi handed over a copy of the notification declaring Kalam as the President-elect to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan, who was Kalam's election agent. Immediately after the results were declared, Mahajan drove to Kalam's residence to hand over the declaration. CPM leader Nilotpal Basu, who represented Sahgal, said she had secured 17,000 more of value votes than that was expected. Sahgal got 1,07,366 value of votes from various States and Union Territories while the Left nominee was expected to get only 90,000 from the parties that pledged support to her.

Thursday, July 18, 2002

Kapil objects to Sourav's strip act

KOLKATA: Cricketing legend Kapil Dev on Wednesday took exception to skipper Sourav Ganguly's act of stripping off his shirt after the incredible victory against England in the NatWest series final, saying captains should learn to keep their emotions under control. "A captain getting carried away is quite normal, but then he should also know how to show his emotions," Kapil told a press conference here. "I was taken aback when he took off his shirt, though I know it was an emotional outburst," he said. Kapil, who led India to the World Cup title at the same venue in 1983, said his reaction had nothing to do with the sanctity of Lord's. "Had such an act been done by a youngster, I wouldn't have minded. But Ganguly is after all the skipper". Kapil, however, hastened to add that cricket had changed a lot since his playing days. "May be, twenty years from now nobody would bother about such things". Ganguly's act of taking off his shirt and waving it to the crowd from the balcony of the dressing room after the two-wicket win last Saturday has come in for criticism from some quarters. However, Cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya on Tuesday strongly defended Ganguly's action, saying it was only an emotional outpouring after an unbelievable victory.

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

Shekhawat nominated for V-P by NDA

Former Rajasthan chief minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat has been nominated as NDA's nominee for the Vice-Presidenial poll.

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

I-T raids on 23 Xerox offices

NEW DELHI: In the wake of allegations that Xerox Modi group paid huge bribes to government officials to procure orders, the income-tax department on Wednesday carried out searches at 23 premises of the corporate across the country. Officials sources said that 20 offices of the group, certain front offices and other entities were raided by the income-tax department in the national Capital. The sources said that the searches, which began at 0800 hrs, had nothing to do with the inquiry launched by the department of company affairs and that the exercise was being carried out to ascertain the source of payment of bribes to the government officials by the corporate house. The income-tax department was looking into the accounts for last six years, they said alleging that the company had over the years indulged in tax evasion worth nearly Rs 25 crore. The sources said that the premises of some of senior officials of the company were also being searched. They, however, said that neither the house of chairman of Modicorp, the company's Indian partner, nor of the three American directors based in Delhi were being searched. The sources said three premises of the company were also being "surveyed" by the taxmen. The searches were carried out after a review by PriceWaterhouseCoopers which pointed out gross irregularities and unethical business practices by the company. The searches were carried at 20 places in Delhi, two places in Uttar Pradesh and one in Kolkata, the sources said. The searches in UP were being carried out at Muzaffarnagar and Moradabad. The searches were being carried under section 132 of the Income-Tax Act. Xerox Modi comprises 68 per cent share of US based Xerox, 28 per cent belongs to B K Modi and balance is with the public. The sources said that the corporate house had been co-operating with the raids so far. Company officials were, however, not available for comment. The Xerox-ModiCorp scam snowballed earlier this month with the government ordering a probe into its accounts following admission of improper payments to the tune of $700,000 to government officials in year 2000 to promote business. Xerox had admitted in a report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that the Indian subsidiary of Xerox, Xerox Modicorp, made "improper payments" to secure government contracts.

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

India needs to fight its own battle: Advani

New Delhi: Under severe attack from the Opposition for the government's failure to prevent cross-border terrorism, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on Tuesday said that India would meet the challenge of Pak-propelled terrorism without counting on US support. Replying to a six-hour debate in the Lok Sabha on the latest terrorist strike in Jammu, Advani said that there was no question of waiting for intervention by others in dealing with terrorist groups. "We will wage war against terrorism on the basis of our own strength," he said. He, however, stressed that diplomatic pressure on the world community would be maintained, to expose Pakistan's role behind the successive terrorist attacks on innocent people. Dissatisfied with the government's response, the Opposition staged a walkout. The House rejected the Opposition-sponsored adjournment motion by a voice vote. Advani said that by declaring Pakistan as a terrorist state, Washington could have played a major role in containing the terror campaign, being run from Pakistan. But, his reference to the probable US response, appeared to be more in the form of a suggestion. He asserted that "we will not allow terrorists to claim victory." Initiating the debate, Congress deputy leader Shivraj Patil attacked the government for its "lack of policy, vision and determination to implement any plan of action" in combating terrorism. "Simply blaming Pakistan was not going to solve the problem," he said. Patil also mocked at the government for rushing to leaders abroad to explain its position. Intervening in the debate, defence minister George Fernandes said it was not possible to have a dialogue with Pakistan when it continued to aid and abet terrorist organisations. "It is said that we should talk to Pakistan, but on what terms can we do so when Pakistan continues to fund, arm and send terrorists to India."

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

India debunks international calls for talks with Pak

India Tuesday debunked international calls for dialogue with Pakistan wondering how the talks could take place when cross-border terrorism was continuing. "Under what terms can we talk with Pakistan when it is providing support to terrorism in this country," Defence Minister George Fernandes said intervening briefly in the discussion in the Lok Sabha on the July 13 Jammu massacre. He said nobody would believe Pakistan's condemnation of acts of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. "If we are to believe what Pakistan says, then it will be difficult to resolve the problem for the reality is otherwise and we have to place this before the people." The Defence Minister said army and security forces are being provided with most modern weapons to tackle the menace of terrorism. Fernandes said the morale of the armed forces stationed along the border since December has been high and they are ready to face any challenge. "I have been visiting the armed forces stationed in these areas frequently and their morale is high". 10:28 IST

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

BJP independent of Sangh parivar, says Naidu; proposes talks

Asserting that BJP was independent of the Sangh parivar, the party's new President Venkaiah Naidu has proposed a dialogue with the saffron outfits to arrive at a "broad consensus" on key issues even as he admitted the party still had an "opposition mindset." While categorically stating the party wanted the Ram temple to be built at Ayodhya and that it was not at all apologetic about its stand, Naidu has acknowledged there was no consensus in the NDA Government on the issue. "These (parivar outfits) are all independent organisations. They are not part of BJP. We are a political party. We are working on the political field. We are guided by our own ideology and programme," Naidu told Karan Thapar's "Court Martial" programme to be telecast on SAB TV Thursday. He said the RSS as an independent organisation had its views on certain matters so also its trade union wing the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. "We in the Government have a different view but broadly in the national interest, I would like to have a dialogue with our so-called parivar as also interact with them and try to come to some sort of a broad consensus on issues to the extent possible," Naidu said. He said the party's disagreement with the RSS on the issue of trifurcating Jammu and Kashmir proved wrong the allegation that BJP was controlled by RSS or Nagpur. Denying that the Sangh Parivar was "exasperated" with the BJP, Naidu said the RSS and allied organisations "very much like this Government. They want this Government to move forward and perform better". 10:28 IST

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

Vaghela appointed Gujarat Congress chief, Amarsinh CLP leader

Apparently unhappy over the way he conducted the party during the communal riots in Gujarat, Congress President Sonia Gandhi Tuesday removed former Chief Minister Amarsinh Chaudhary as the state PCC chief and brought in Shankarsinh Vaghela in his place to take on ruling BJP in coming assembly polls. Gandhi, however, made Chaudhary Congress Legislature Party leader after reports that the tribal leader was unhappy over the way he was asked to resign as PCC chief and was planning to hobnob with Samajwadi Party. Chaudhary replaces Naresh Rawal (rpt Naresh Rawal). Vaghela, a former BJP leader with Sangh Parivar link who had become Chief Minister in 1997 after splitting BJP, was given the task of leading Congress chief to counter controversial Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The organisational changes in Gujarat have come ahead of the assembly polls which are expected to take place by October. Gandhi effected the changes after receiving complaints about Chaudhary's stewardship of the organisation during the Gujarat carnage which has led to polarisation in the state. 10:23 IST

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

Jaitley to discuss greater autonomy with J-K leaders

Former Union minister Arun Jaitley was Tuesday named the Centre's interlocutor for discussion on greater powers to Jammu and Kashmir even as India stepped up its offensive against Pakistan demanding it be declared a terrorist state if it failed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure. Announcing the appointment of Jaitley in Lok Sabha, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani ruled out accepting pre-1953 status for the state. He said J and K was a special state and the government had no no objection to giving it more powers to fulfill the aspirations of the people. He was intervening during a discussion on a Congress sponsored adjournment motion on the Jammu killings which was rejected by a voice vote after the entire opposition walked out dissatisfied with the Deputy Prime Minister's speech. Advani said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has asked Jaitley to go to the state and hold talks with different political parties on the issue of devolution of greater powers. Maintaining that Pakistan has become the epicentre of terrorism, he said "if the US wants it can stop terrorism and put an end to terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan by threatening that it would declare it a terrorist state". 10:23 IST

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

US notifies intention to sell six C-130s to Pakistan

The United States is planning to sell six C-130E Cargo aircraft and accessories worth 75 million dollars to Pakistan, saying the move will not affect the basic military balance in the region. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress of a possible sale of the aircraft, associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $75 million, the Pentagon said. Pakistan's acquirement of these aircraft and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region, it added. "Pakistan needs these aircraft to support a current and long-term airlift shortfall, both for Pakistan Air Force internal requirements, and as it seeks to support the U.S. Government with Operation Enduring Freedom. These aircraft will be used for the purpose of providing airlift support." The proposed sale "will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country which has been and continues to be an important force for economic progress in South Asia," the Pentagon press release said. The Government of Pakistan, it said, had requested six used C-130E aircraft with engines, spare parts, training personnel, equipment, logistics support and assistance in upgradation of engines. The notice of a potential sale, the release said, is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded. 10:23 IST

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

Pak launches biggest ever war games in three decades

Pakistan Tuesday launched its biggest ever war games in the last three decades as part of efforts to boost the professional acumen of its forces with President Pervez Musharraf asking troops to maintain "their edge over the adversary". Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force are participating in the "Sabit Qadam-II" exercise -- the 10-day war games. "The massing and deployment of Indian troops along the border has exposed certain vulnerabilities of the Indian army, which were very useful in formulating various options," Musharraf said in talks with senior officer on the opening day of the war games. "Pakistan Armed Forces have the capability not only to defend every inch of the motherland but also strike a telling blow on anyone who dared to challenge the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country," he said. 10:23 IST

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

Virgin serves notice on Air India

Virgin Atlantic Airlines has served a notice on Air India to terminate its code share arrangement to stop its twice-a-week services from August 12 if it was not allowed to operate additional flights from the country. Officials of Virgin airlines said in case it does not get exclusive rights to fly, it would terminate its codeshare with Air India. Air India's Deputy Commercial Manager (Corporate Communication) Rohita Jaidka said this "conditional notice" was served three months ago and no fresh notice has been given since then. Virgin's General Manager (India) Paul Smitton said in a statement here that the airline "is committed to flying between India and UK and hopes very much that additional rights will be granted which will allow Virgin Atlantic to remain in India." Virgin is hopeful of getting rights to operate flights on its own when the second round of bilateral talks between India and UK are held next month. The bilateral talks, which had remained inconclusive in London last month, are likely to be held in the first week of August. 10:23 IST

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

Mongia, Laxman strike form against West Indies 'A'

Dinesh Mongia and stand-in skipper V V S Laxman struck form to hit fine half-centuries as Indians reached 253 for seven at close on the opening day of the three-day match against West Indies 'A' here Tuesday. Mongia's 87 and Laxman's 85 at the picturesque Arundel castle ground will further lengthen India's batting options before the start of the four-match Test series against England. The left-handed Mongia was extremely impressive in compiling runs against a decent quality attack and now adds to the overflowing riches of India's middle-order. V V S Laxman, a batting stalwart in his own right, was no less impressive in carting his 85 and putting on 86 runs for the third wicket with Mongia. While the Indians middle-order presented a healthy look, the opening blues continued as the two specialist openers, Shiv Sunder Das (29) and Wasim Jaffer (5), who flew in to play the Tests, failed to get into groove. Jaffer departed inside the first hour when he snicked a catch to wicketkeeper Keith Hubbert off fast bowler Jermaine Lawson and Das had a typical departure after spending enough time for little return at the crease. Das battled 155 minutes for his 29 in which he hit three fours from 112 deliveries. The Orissa player was never on top of the bowling on a sluggish pitch. 10:23 IST

Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Pakistan military commences war games

Pakistan today began a 10-day war game code named "Sabit Qadam - II" as part of efforts for upgradation and professional development of its armed forces in the wake of troop deployment along the border with India. Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force are participating in the exercise, the biggest ever undertaken by the country in the last three decades. President Pervez Musharraf, who is also the Chief of Army Staff, would attend various deliberations of the war games, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi told reporters at the National Defence College, where the deliberations are being held. The President will also visit various locations to apprise himself of the preparedness and professionalism of his senior commanders, Qureshi added. "After the operational deployment of the armed forces in response to the Indian massing of troops on the border, the process of preparation and training of various formations was now culminating in the war game," he said. Vice Chief of Pak Army Staff General Muhammad Yusuf Khan, besides the Army's formation commanders and other top ranking officers, are also participating in the exercise. Outlining the games' objective, Director General Military Operations Maj Gen Ashfaq Kiani said, it "will help further boost the acumen of senior army officers, besides providing an opportunity to...exercise their war skills and tactics." They will be reviewing the performance and plans of the rival forces - Blueland (domestic force) and Foxland (enemy force). 13:58 IST

Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Advani to make statement in Parliament on terrorist attack in Jammu

Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani will make a statement in Parliament on Tuesday on Saturday's terrorist attack in Jammu. This was stated by an External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Monday to a spate of questions relating to the incident and whether it was Pakistan-sponsored. Terming the attack that left at least 28 people dead and several injured as "most condemnable", she said Government has received messages from several countries strongly condemning the incident and reiterating the imperative need for the international community to join together to eradicate terrorism wherever its exists. While US Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke to External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha late last night, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who is slated to arrive on an official visit on Friday, and French Foreign Minister Dominique Villepin. Condemning the "vicious" killing, Powell said "the people of this region deserve peace and development, not the suffering imposed upon them by terrorist thugs who are outside the plae of the civilized world". He said the perpetrators of this heinous act were proving once again that they do not have the interest of the Kashmiri people at heart, but rather seek to undermine efforts to ease tensions in the region. Japan has also strongly condemned the "inhuman terrorist attack" against many civilians. "The Government of Japan resolutely condemns terrorism in any form," it said noting this was reconfirmed in the India-Japan joint declaration signed by the Japanese and Indian Premiers in Tokyo on December 10 last year. 11:29 IST

Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Govt reconsidering working of FIPB to enhance investments:FM

Concerned over the tardy pace of Foreign Direct Investments, Government today told the Rajya Sabha it would reconsider the working of Foreign Investment Promotion Board and take suitable measures to enhance FDI inflow to 10 billion dollars per annum. "As far as FIPB is concerned we are reconsidering this issue," Finance Minister Jaswant Singh told Sanjay Nirupam who wanted the FIPB to be brought under the ambit of Finance Ministry. Quoting Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie's observation that there were 287 steps to be followed before clearing any FDI proposal, Singh said he would prefer to bring it to as low as three or four procedures. "The current inflow of about 4 billion dollars is not satisfactory", Singh said while replying to supplementaries during Question Hour. Singh said India could easily absorb the 10 billion dollar inflow of FDI which would help in employment, technology, export promotion and overall growth of economy. "This is an empirically established fact". "The challenge we have today is not about de-regulation but about de-bureaucratisation. If you are able to move purposefully and positively in this direction , it will help in greater flow of FDI," Singh said. 13:58 IST

Tuesday, July 16, 2002

BJP galvanised after revamp in party, govt: Advani

Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said the BJP has been galvanised after the recent revamp in the party and government putting behind the electoral setbacks in the recent assembly elections. Advani, who was asked to address the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said the reorganisation of the party and the Government had been "enthusiastically" received by the party. Party spokesman V K Malhotra gave an overview of Advani's address at a news conference here after the meeting. The Deputy Prime Minister said the recent meetings Vajpayee had with business and trade spurring them to increase growth rate and the mood of optimism on the economic front had also boosted the spirit of the party workers. "The changes effected by the Prime Minister in party and Government and the optimism expressed by him at the meeting with trade and business leaders has had a positive effect on the rank and file of the party," Advani said. With the economy looking up and the morale of the party cadres being high, the Opposition appears to be left "issueless and dejected", Advani said. The Deputy Prime Minister told members that they should carry this positive message to their constituencies and paint a optimistic image of the Government and party, Malhotra said. 12:33 IST

Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Adjournment motion to discuss Jammu attack admitted in Lok Sabha

An opposition sponsored adjournment motion to discuss the July 13 Qasim Nagar terrorist massacre near Jammu and failure of the Government to combat cross-border terrorism was today admitted in Lok Sabha by Speaker Manohar Joshi. The motion was moved by Congress Deputy leader Shivraj Patil after the Speaker announced that he had received 65 notices from members of various opposition parties. Joshi observed that in the balloting, V M Sudhiran (Cong) had secured the first place but he requested the chair to allow Patil to move the motion and initiate a discussion, a plea accepted by the Speaker.

Monday, July 15, 2002

Advani faces hostile crowd, DGP says LeT to blame for attack

Facing a hostile crowd after Saturday night's mayhem in which terrorists gunned down 27 people, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today described the incident as the "most naked form of terrorism" even as Jammu and Kashmir police blamed Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attack. Addressing angry residents and relatives of the victims, Advani said "how long will the series of killings will go on? How long will we tolerate this?" Seeking to pacify the crowd, he said he had come here for meeting the injured in hospital and speak to state government and army officials so that could tell Parliament, whose monsoon session begins tomorrow, that the terrorists were targetting innocents, women and children. Outraged over the Jammu massacre, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee convened an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security which strongly condemned the ''horrendous'' incident. Advani said the massacre yesterday was similar to the May 14 Kaluchak attack the only difference being the targets." External Affairs Minister Yaswant Sinha said before the CCS meeting that incidents like last night's attack near Jammu were taking place at the behest of Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police A K Suri said Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba is responsible for the Qasim Nagar massacre. "The Lashkar has been responsible for this. There was definite information that the Lashkar has been planning attacks in Jammu and this is in pursuance of that information that we have this incident," Suri said.

Monday, July 15, 2002

NDFB militants mow down nine tribals, injure five

Guwahati,Monday, July 15, 2002: At least nine tribals were shot dead and five others seriously injured by militants of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland in lower Assam's Kokrajhar district in the early hours today. Official sources here said that the militants raided the Bhumka Maligaon relief camp in the Kokrajhar police station area when the inmates were asleep and fired indiscriminately. Eight persons were killed on the spot and one succumbed to injuries later on way to hospital, the sources said. The injured have been admitted to the Kokrajhar Civil hospital. The militants escaped under the cover of darkness, sources said adding Senior district officials have rushed to the area and an investigation has started. 10:48 IST

Monday, July 15, 2002

Polling for Presidential election begins

New Delhi,Monday, July 15, 2002: Polling began in Parliament and state assemblies for the 12th Presidential election this morning in which eminent missile technologist A P J Abdul Kalam and INA veteran Capt Lakshmi Sahgal are locked in a straight contest. The polling started at 1000 hours and would continue till 1700 hours. Counting of votes would take place here on July 18. The election is a one-sided affair where the victory of Kalam was a mere formality. Seventy-one-year old Kalam, a hero of the Pokhran nuclear tests and for long associated with the country's space programme, emerged as the dark horse at the last minute when NDA chose him as its nominee abandoning former Maharashtra Governor P C Alexander for the post. He was later adopted by the entire political spectrum barring the Left, which fielded 87-year-old Sahgal, who had kept herself away from politics and social life and was leading a quiet life in Kanpur. Sahgal is the first woman to contest the Presidential election. President K R Narayanan is retiring on July 24. 10:48 IST

Sunday, July 14, 2002

Play online India: lottery in new avtaar

Remember the runaway success of Kaun Banega Crorepati. And that was a game which didn't really leave everything to chance. To hit the jackpot of a crore rupees, luck was important, but it needed skills as well. Now with online lottery, India is getting a taste of the new age games of pure chance. And the response is a mind boggling khelo India khelo! Since it started in March 2002, India's first online lottery, Sikkim Super Lotto, run by Playwin Infravest promoted by the Rs 4,500-crore Essel group is well on the way to achieving a cult status. In 14 weekly draws, there have already been two jackpot winners romping home with Rs 8.61 crore and Rs 2 crore. Business raked in has been to the tune of Rs 100 crore. Online lottery has, in fact, changed the profile of the gaming public in India from the lower middle class to sections of the upper middle class and executives. Visualise this. At a large corporate office in Mumbai, everyone's keen on playing the weekly online lottery. One of the office assistants is given the task of going out at a fixed time every week to buy the tickets. It's the thrill of selecting the six random numbers and then waiting for the results, feels a Delhi-based executive of the company. She has herself tried her luck when she’s in Mumbai, since lotteries are banned in Delhi. For many Mumbaiites, it’s the thrill of gambling online that prompts them to buy the tickets. Says Rajesh Menon: The first time I bought a lottery ticket it was a paper one, around 7-8 years ago, just on whim as I was passing by Churchgate. Of course nothing came off that Rs 5 ticket. The decision to play online was due to the hype surrounding it." "I was out with my family and we were looking at houses in Vashi in this very upmarket locality. The prices that were being rattled off were Rs 21 lakh with the penthouse being quoted at Rs 45 lakh." "Just on impulse, my brother-in-law said maybe we should all buy lottery tickets for a windfall. That day Playwin had a deal, if you bought two Rs 10 tickets you would get the third free. So for Rs 20 I got three tickets, one each for my wife, daughter and myself. Four of the numbers clicked and I won Rs 592. After that I’ve bought two tickets. Or take the case of residents of Bangalore's Brigade Road where a group of shop owners and residents have formed a consortium to pool in money everyday for placing the once a week bet. Says R Suresh, the owner of a watch repair shop: The numbers to be chosen are decided by one member of the group in rotation. The transparent mechanism of the online draws are a great hit with lottery buffs. Says Suman Basak, a Kolkata based businessman: Lotteries have always been a weakness with me and Playwin seems to have a transparent procedure for the lucky draw pick. I have been taking chances all my life so why not with this? STATE OF FORTUNE With such response from people across the 14 lottery states of India, the stakes are obviously high for Playwin Infravest. And if the industry grapevine is to be believed, Essel group chief Subhash Chandra spends most of his quality time at the office of the online lottery company. The total outlets in the country as of now are 2,800 which the company plans to hike to 10,000 by December 2002. Says Sanjay Yashroy, vice-president, marketing of Playwin: We expect the industry size to go up to Rs 2000 crore in two years. Average turnover is around Rs 8-10 crore per week with Maharashtra contributing about 20-25 per cent, followed by Karnataka, West Bengal, and Punjab. In percentage of people playing the game Sikkim and Kerala top despite fewer terminals. PAPER TIGERS Meanwhile, the paper lottery market in India which currently stands at Rs 50,000 crore with 2 crore people buying tickets everyday, has been stagnating. The introduction of online lotteries seems to have infused some excitement in this segment too. State governments will, in fact, directly stand to benefit more from online gambling since 20 per cent of the revenue generated would be given to the government for welfare programmes. As of now, of the remaining amount 45-50 per cent goes back into the prize pool, 6 per cent to distributors and sellers, 5 per cent on marketing initiatives, 10-15 per cent as sales tax , 5-10 per cent on satellite and other communications cost and the rest to the company as margins, which would increase as marketing costs go down and other games are introduced through the same terminals. With earlier paper lotteries, the state governments earned next to nothing since it was not possible to monitor sales. Sales tax for state governments in case of online lotteries is huge since every sale is monitored. Licence fees for the different states are also between 20-25 per cent, which in the case of paper lotteries was about 1-0.5 per cent. In fact, the revenue stream looks so attractive for states that the cash-strapped Punjab government is now looking at mopping up Rs 9,301 crore over the next seven years from online lottery revenues. It has roped in the Mumbai-based Venture Brothers Business Advisers Consortium in an exclusive online gambling deal. The tentatively named Punjab State Online Lottery is scheduled to be kicked off in early August. Right now, the state government earns Rs 70 crore a year from the paper lottery business. Venture Brothers have promised the state a minimum Rs 55 crore in the first year, which will go up to Rs 571 crore in the fourth year. BANKING ON LUCK As for Playwin, the company is now eyeing two different slices of the gaming pie in India. Firstly, there is the allotment of licences from the lottery playing states of the country (two new ones Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have also decided to go in for lotteries). Playwin has licences for Sikkim, Karnataka and Maharashtra. It has already launched Sikkim Super Lotto and plans to launch Karnataka Lucky Pick, a daily game based on 3 digits by the end of July and another game in August on behalf of the Maharashtra government. Says Sanjay Das CEO, Playwin: We are launching more games like the Sikkim Thunderball and in Karnataka we are starting a daily draw. In Maharashtra, discussions are on as the government wants exclusive terminals where only state lottery can be played.’’ Secondly, once a licence is acquired and a game is launched it can be sold across the 14 lottery playing states. Says Yashroy: Today the market is 40 lakh people who have already played the game. I see this going up 100 per cent to 10 million in six months. We have 10,000 terminals, which we hope to increase to 30,000 by 2003. The group also enjoys the advantage of co-promoting the game on Zee TV. Of course, compared to the global marketsize of around $125 billion, online lottery in India is still embryonic. In UK alone, where the National Lottery has been operating for the past seven years, it has created more than a thousand millionaires. There are games currently on in the US which have jackpots starting at $10 million with a potential to reach $500 million. Studies in Canada show that 75 per cent of Canadian adults play Lotto.

Sunday, July 14, 2002

India rules out dialogue with Pak till infiltration ends

India today ruled out any dialogue with Pakistan unless it dismantles terrorist infrastructure in that country and provides proof of the same to New Delhi even as it said there has been fresh incursions from across the border. Asked about prospects of early resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha told reporters, "absolutely no till circumstances are created wherein Pakistan takes worthwhile steps to dismantle infrastructures of terrorism which Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has announced." Stating that there was some decline in infiltration after Pakistan's assurance that it would end it permanently, Sinha, who took over the Ministry recently, said "after Musharraf went public that he had not given such an assurance, almost in tandem there were incidents from across the border. "The decline (in infiltration) evaporated and fresh incursions were noted, which were brought to the notice of the international community. It is for Pakistan to provide proof that infiltration has declined," Sinha said after handing over of 25 Tata buses to the transitional Government of Afghanistan. 21:02 IST

Sunday, July 14, 2002

Pakistan seeks US invlovement for progress on Kashmir

Ahead of U S Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to India and Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf has sought Washington's involvement in making progress on the Kashmir issue but made it clear that the question of terrorist training camps "is to be left to us to handle." Pakistan also awaits a response from India on the initiation of dialogue on Kashmir, Musharraf said in an interview to the 'Time' magazine to be published in its July 22 issue. Asked how progress could be made on the Kashmir issue, he said ''nothing is going to happen if there is no sincerity. We are killing each other every day. So what nonsense is this that there is no issue. And that is where, I would say, the US comes in. US involvement - really, it must be there''. Powell is slated to visit New Delhi and Islamabad on July 27 and 28 on his way to Brunei to attend the meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). On infiltration, the Pakistan President said he had assured the ''whole world that there is nothing happening on the Line of Control (LoC).'' He said ''as far as training camps are concerned, what is happening inside Pakistan is to be left to us to handle. ''But Pakistan awaits a response from India. And when we talk of response, I am talking of initiation of a dialogue on Kashmir. If they don't want to de-escalate, they can remain on the border. We are quite happy''. 18:22 IST

Sunday, July 14, 2002

Rail Bifurcation issue back to Cabinet : Fernandes

In a delicate balancing act, a high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee tonight decided to "refer" to the Union cabinet the controversial issue of bifurcation of Eastern Railway which has become a major bone of contention between West Bengal and Bihar. "Since the originial decision (bifurcation) was taken by the Union Cabinet it has to go back to the cabinet," NDA Convener and Defence Minister George Fernandes said after the hour-long meeting in which DPM L K Advani and Railway minister Nitish Kumar also participated. It was not clear whether the Cabinet would review or reconsider the 1996 cabinet decision to divide the Eastern Railways. Asked specifically whether the Cabinet would review its earlier decision, he said "review is too big a word." The decision taken at the high level meeting comes in the backdrop of a controversy raked up by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and joined by all parties in West Bengal who have opposed the bifurcation of Eastern Railways to create a new East Central Zone to be headquarted in Hajipur in Bihar. However, parties in Bihar are opposed to any reconsideration of the division. Fernandes told reporters that the Railway Minister had made a presentation on the issue at the meeting and it was decided to refer it back to the cabinet. He said the presentation made by Kumar would be put before the cabinet at its next meeting. However, Fernandes declined to elaborate on the presentation made by Kumar. He said the entire issue which is the subject of the controversy discussed. Kumar, however, refused to say anything on the issue to reporters stating that Fernandes would brief them. 22:08 IST

Sunday, July 14, 2002

Devdas: A visual treat. Simply, one of the classics!

First things first. If you haven't seen the earlier ten versions of Devdas, there's nothing to worry about. Just sit back and relax. Because the latest inspiration from Sarat Chandra's famous novel to hit the screens is more than enough for your fill with one of the best star casts in recent times. With the kind of money pumped into it, 'Devdas' lives up to its pre-release hype as you see the modern-day version through the eyes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Devdas Mukherjee (Shah Rukh Khan) returns from London after completing his law studies, to re-enlighten his love for his childhood sweetheart Paro (Aishwarya Rai). But his reunion with his ladylove is no good news for his upper-caste landlord household. Devdas' mother, Kaushalya (Smita Jaykar) rejects the unification, courtesy her evil daughter-in-law (Ananya Khare), who plays spoilsport. Matters come to a point of no return, when Paro's mother, Sumitra (Kiron Kher) couldn't take the insult lying down. She swears revenge by arranging Paro's marriage in haste, to a wealthy Thakur who already has three children in tow, from his early marriage. This is too big a situation for Devdas to handle, as he guesses his next move. Instead of taking matters in his own hands, he heads for the city, leaving a depressed Paro behind. There he finds solace in his London-returned friend, Chunnilal (Jackie Shroff). To escape his bouts of depression, Devdas is introduced by Chunnilal to a brothel beauty, Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit). She gives him a much-needed shoulder to hang on. Back home, his errant father passes away and he reaches his 'haveli' to offer his condolences in a drunkard state. He returns to the city again after helplessly watching the proceedings in his hometown. Depression further strikes Devdas, as drinking becomes the order of the day. He seems to have lost the reason to live. And add to that, his health goes from bad to worse as the lovelorn Devdas takes his last journey homewards. The script is more or less on track with the director taking a few cinematic liberties for not making the concept outdated. Devdas is shown returning from London, but according to Sarat Chandra's novel, he returns from Calcutta. Moreover, in the original novel, Paro and Chandramukhi never meet. But to the audience's delight, they get to see both of them exchange notes and even dance to the tune of "Dola re Dola re". Almost all the songs have a classical feel, which go hand in hand with the script. The music grows on you on repetitive listening. But the film has its share of flaws too. The two people responsible for the tragic circumstances of Devdas , namely, his sister-in-law and Paro's son-in-law Bhuvan (Milind Gunaji), go scot-free. Moreover, a confused Devdas is shown writing a letter to Paro stating that he is no more in love with her. Another goof-up is created when Devdas' mother doesn't even try to understand his feelings all throughout the movie, leading to his ordeal. All said and done, your heart skips a beat as you feel nobody should suffer like Devdas did. The tragedy is not that he died in the end, but he never lived. The lavish sets and the costumes add up to the brilliant cinematography with the riot of colours. Dialogues by Prakash Kapadia are to be heard to be believed. First-rate, to say the least. Of the cast, Shah Rukh Khan may well follow in the footsteps of his mentor, Dilip Kumar who bagged the award-winning role of Devdas in the 1955 classic. Aishwarya Rai as Paro, blends her 'sought-after' role to perfection. Madhuri Dixit brings dignity to her character of Chandramukhi with superb flare. VERDICT : A visual treat. Simply, one of the classics. ----------------- His debut venture Khamoshi, didn't do too well at the box office even though it was an excellent movie, it was however, greatly appreciated by the critics. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam managed to do both, Devdas is the third film to come from Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and even before it's fate at the box office is decided, he's bowled me over by scoring a hat trick. Devdas (Khan) and Paro (Rai) are childhood friends, separated, when Devdas is sent to boarding school in London. Their friendship develops into love on his return. His family however, consider his relationship with Paro beneath him and he's forced to make the ultimate choice - it's her or them. He chooses the latter, only to regret his decision when it's too late. This is when Devdas's spiral of self destruction begins landing him in the arms of charming Chandramuki (Dixit). The courtesan falls in love with him at first sight and worships him just as intensely as Paro does. Unfortunately for her, Devdas is as unobtainable to her, as Paro is to him, and spends most of his days whether with her or not, intoxicated. The main theme in the movie - Love - is shown in it's most interesting forms, unrequited and forbidden. The film also delves deeper into the psyche of each character especially Devdas, making you understand why he's a spoilt rich kid, who acts before he thinks. Devdas is a treat to watch, it completely justifies it's title as the most expensive Indian film ever made. The cinematography is breathtaking, the locations and sets exquisite, and vintage costumes and jewelry highly elegant. There are many tender and touching scenes in the film but the picturisation to the 'Hamesha Tumko Chaha' song gives you a lump in your throat. Aishwarya is dainty and delicate in her portrayal as Paro. She is entirely believable as a young woman who solely exists for her lover. Madhuri is equally good and gives a sensitive and sympathetic performance as Chandramukhi. Both women dance like dreams, and make you feel like their roles have never been played before hence created just for them. Shahrukh Khan is known for his passionate performances. He's willed us to 'fall in love' before and has won countless awards for his portrayals but even after considering films like 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' and Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham', it has to be said that Devdas is by far the best of his career. Devdas has everything, it's a masterpiece. This isn't one of the best films I've seen this month, or even this year, it's one of the best films I've seen, ever. Rating: 9.5/10 ----------------- Director : Sanjay Leela Bhansali Music : Ismail Darbar Lyrics : Nusrat Badr Starring : Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwariya Rai. DEVDAS is one movie which is already much talked about before its release. First the theme of the movie, then Bharat Shah's arrest and lastly the fire on the sets. Although the situation on the sets of Devdas was precarious and inexplicable, Sanjay Leela Bhansali walked out as a winner to all odds. Devdas is much-awaited movie and its already gained popularity. Lyrics are by Nusrat Badr whereas music is composed by Ismail Darbar. The best tracks in the album are Chalak Chalak and Dola Re Dola. Kavita Subramaniam voice is given to Madhuri Dixit whereas Shreya Ghosal is singing for Ash. Silsila Ye Chaahat Ka...is sung by a new singer Shreya, who doesn’t disappoint. The song is about a girl who is desperately waiting for her man and could sacrifice just anything to get a glance of him. Maar Daala...is sung by Bhansali's favorite singer Kavita Subramarian along with KK. Although the song does not take you way back to Umrao Jaan or Pakeezah, it does remind you the days of tabla and ghungroo and make it a perfect number to listen. Bairi Piya..isshh!! is a very catchy word in this song sung by Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghosal. It’s a sweet number where a couple shows small gestures of love and affection. Kaahe Chhed Mohe..is a classical song - sung, composed and written by Pt.Birju Maharaj. To sing along are Kavita Subramarian and Madhuri Dixit Nene. Where Madhuri debut's as a singer and proves to be quite successful. The song basically looks like a training session. Where Kavita Subramarian is a teacher and Madhuri is a student. Chalak Chalak...many would dance to this number sung by Udit Narayan, Vinod Rathod and Shreya Ghosal. The song is picturized on Shahrukh Khan and Jackie Shroff. In this particular song, they are celebrating their drinking session. Hamesha Tumko Chaha...it's a slow number by Kavita Subramarian, Udit Nanayan. It reminds you of 'Oh Ramji Bada Dukh Dina.. from Subhah Ghai's Ram Lakhan. The song is trying to convey a message to the man that a woman is incomplete without his love. Woh Chand Jaisi Ladki...is a solo song by Udit Nanayan. The rhythm of the song is soft, smooth and slow the song deals with feelings, feelings and only feelings. Morey Piya...lyrics are by Sameer and the song is sung by Jaspinder Narula and Shreya Ghosal. It’s another number with lots of tabla, daphali and ghungroo. It’s a kind of classical number. Devdar-The theme.. the music is heard in the promo of Devdas. The Theme is composed by Monty and rendered by Rashmi Sharma, Supriya, Raghav. The theme falls in the similar lines of that of Ashoka. Dola Re Dola...looks like a competition song between Madhuri Dixit and Ash. The song is sung by Kavita Subramarian, Shreya Ghosal and KK. It’s one of the best track in the album. Devdas's songs are earthy and sounds like from different era. Its takes one back in the days of 50's and 60's. Overall, the music is excellent and will soon become a need to every music lover. Mumbai, July 13 Will the magic of Devdas, Paro and Chandramukhi work all over again? Though the initial response to the film is positive, the Rs 50-crore magnum opus still has to cover a long journey to write a success story. Emerging from the first-day, first-show, a cross-section of the audiences, when asked for their reaction, gave 'Devdas' the thumbs up. ''The film is a delight for its look and presentation. It is really a treat to view it in theatres. Besides, the performances of the lead actors are great," said Sanjana Gupta after watching the most expensive film in the history of the Indian Cinema at the Fame Adlabs here. ''Shah Rukh is okay. He cannot, of course, match the histronics of Dilip Kumar. I had seen Dilip Kumar's 'Devdas', and his expression of pain looked real,'' felt 55 year-old Asha Menon at the Maratha Mandir theatre in South Central Mumbai. Film buff Sanjeet Kulkarni pointed out, ''Aishwarya looks gorgeous, but the film belongs to Madhuri Dixit.'' His views were echoed by a group of collegians from Bandra at the Gaiety Cinema in the suburbs. However, college going Smriti Kakkar said the film did not appeal to her. ''There is nothing new in the film,'' she added. While one Prachi Sharma observed that the film will be remembered for its lavish sets and designer costumes. ''I liked Madhuri's dance numbers choreographed by Birju Maharaj,'' she pointed out. Well-known Kathak exponent Birju Maharaj has choreographed a 'filmi' number after a gap of several years. 'Devdas' stars Shahrukh in the role earlier immortalised by K L Saigal and Dilip Kumar. Before its release, the film was screened at the Cannes film festival last month. It is an adaptation of Bengali novel 'Devdas' authored by Saratchandra Chattopadhyay. Altogether, there have been eleven films made on it earlier in various languages -- from Hindi to Bengali to Tamil. Much before its release, ''Devdas'' made headlines for lavish sets created by ace art director Nitin Desai at Mumbai's film city. At the film's premiere here, noted actress Rekha said that sometimes, a film needed the prayers of the artists to succeed but `Devdas' is an extradordinary film and will surely make a mark at the box office. Madhuri Dixit's husband Shriram Nene said the gestures and eye movements of the actors were so good that people needn't know Hindi to follow the story. Desperately looking for a blockbuster, the cash-strapped film industry now awaits the final verdict. However, the first two weeks of all 'Devdas' shows here have been heavily booked prior to the release, purely on pre-release publicity and audiences curiosity. Industry sources said the real fate of the movie will be known only after the first fortnight. ---------------------- DEEP PREVIEW Star-crossed lovers, inebriated passion. Unrequited love, doom, despair. Self-destructive obsession, heightened tragedy. The saga of Devdas is compelling. At Rs 500 million, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas has been an obsession for the last two years. It marks the third time that Bengali littérateur Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic has been adapted on the Hindi screen. It sees three of the Bollywood's biggest stars -- Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan -- come together for the first time to spearhead an ensemble cast boasting the likes of Jackie Shroff, Kiron Kher and Smita Jayakar. It is possibly the only salvation for the film industry, which has not seen a superhit since last year's Karan Johar opus Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Deaths on its sets, the imprisonment of its producer Bharat Shah, a troublesome back problem bothering lead actor SRK, lead actress Aishwarya Rai's tempestuous relationship with actor Salman Khan, a fallout between Jackie Shroff and Bhansali, a director driven to the brink of a nervous breakdown... The obstacles were many, but Devdas, though dogged by controversy, survived, determined to see the light of 70mm. Devdas, thus, now emerges not just a tribute to love. It is also a tribute to the human spirit. MUMBAI: At a lavishly attended premiere here on Thursday night, disgraced financier and producer Bharat Shah beamed with relief as distinguished guests from every walk of life congratulated him for Devdas. Nearby, the film's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali stood pensively. "I'm relieving all the trauma I've gone through to make this film. And you know what, I'd do it all over again just to see the audiences' glowing faces." Bhansali is no longer nervous or anxious. "It all vanished when the advance booking counters opened all over India Monday. I can't tell you how reassuring it was to discover so many people are so eager to see the film." According to Mumbai exhibitors, advance-booking queues for Bhansali's Rs 500 million Devdas are unprecedented. Tickets for the whole week were sold out within a few hours at Mumbai's Maratha Mandir cinema hall. Says Bhansali: "I'm told such crowds were last seen for K Asif's Mughal-e-Azam. When people tell me such things I don't feel flattered, only grateful that three years of my single-minded penance is going to pay off." But it was a long way from payoff for the film that was first screened at Cannes and made Time's critic Richard Corliss describe it as "possibly... the visually most ravishing film ever". According to Bharat Shah, who had been given a two-day reprieve to promote Devdas before standing trial for his alleged links with the underworld, says the film will have to have an uninterrupted run of at least six weeks before its makers can begin to hope for a profit. Are the audiences going to return for repeat viewings of this epic tale of star-crossed love? Director Ram Gopal Varma says he's eager to see the way Bhansali has treated the romance between Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) and Paro (Aishwarya Rai). "All those elaborate song sequences and the traditional courting game look interesting." Actor Akshay Kumar, who's just had a hit Awaara Paagal Deewana, says: "If you see the advance booking queues for Devdas, you'll find a lot of women there. They've come to watch Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya together in the same frame. "They want to check out their clothes, jewellery, hairstyles... After the initial curiosity about the film's 'look' dies, it would be time to judge it for its more integral merits. The film's short-term success is ensured. The long-term success depends on how audiences take to the basic plot." Bhansali says: "I really don't think about short- and long- term success of Devdas. For me the film's success depends on how people respond to my central character. Yes, it's a very tragic tale. And it requires unwavering attention from viewers. "But why should I believe our audiences aren't mature enough to understand the true meaning of love... I was warned audiences would be put off by the lyricism of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. I didn't listen to the naysayers then, so why should I listen to them now? "I'm not the least nervous about Devdas. Now I just want to take a long break before I plan my next film which would certainly be a much smaller project and hopefully not a period epic." GETTING drunk is better than acting drunk. The truth dawned upon Shah Rukh on the sets of Devdas. I don’t normally drink, he says. But I told Sanjay it’s boring to try and act drunk. So I took Bacardi neat or with Pepsi for some scenes. And once the rum had its effect, Khan says, he couldn’t recall how he per-formed those scenes. Of course, he’s just kidding. There’s too much importance attached to my playing Devdas, he says. So I’d rather underplay this fact. "My only concern was that I shouldn’t end up spoiling the characters played by Dilip Kumar and K L Saigal and to some extent, Amitabh in Muqaddar Ka Sikander. But did he curb his style of acting? I’m more into the Michael J Fox and Peter Sellers kind of acting in the face. And Devdas is a little quiet. AT the moment, Aishwarya Rai’s on a high, looking back at Paro, the character she’s played in Devdas. Paro is wonderful, giving unconditional love. Yet, she is rebellious in her own way. Her life is an irony. You can connect with the emotional journey of the characters. She admits she’s the verbose child-woman, with incredible inner strength, just like Paro. Enacting Paro was a wonderful emotional catharsis. Does she perceive Devdas as a loser or a strong lover? I never judge people negatively, whether in a film or in real life, because everybody has their own reasons for behaving like that. It’s unfair to term a true lover like Devdas, a loser. He loves intensely, and he has a child-man quality. You love him, get angry, reprimand him and guide him. Devdas evokes multiple emotions in you. Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) is the story of a love beyond all else...even life. The saga of a man called Devdas who loved, loved and just loved... Devdas shared a magnetic childhood with his lovely playmate Paro (Aishwarya Rai) where supreme love was felt before it was understood. When youth beckoned, the loved intensified. But, alas, a fateful moment of weakness on the part of Devdas created a permanent wall of separation between him and his beloved Paro. When Paro's mother proposes marriage Devdass father Zamindar Narayan Mukherjee reminds her of the difference in their status. The lovers are heartbroken. In the darkness of the night Paro offers herself to Devdas but he declines. Feeling hurt he leaves town without a word and writes to Paro asking her to forget him. But when he realises his folly he tries to pacify her but the stubborn and beautiful Paro is too hurt and humiliated. She blames him for leaving her. On one side of the wall was a heartbroken Paro who became the wife of another. And on the other, was a completely shattered Devdas. Unable to bear the agony of a life without Paro, Devdas made alcohol his constant companion. But that could not make him forget the piercing pain. Even the unflinching devotion of a beautiful courtesan Chandramukhi, (Madhuri Dixit) did not ease the heartache of losing Paro. It was only when his eyes closed to a permanent sleep, did the pain begin to fade. But even before losing the light of life, all Devdas urged, was to see his Paro just once ...Thus giving his love the greatest dignity ...It was at Paro's doorstep, that the doors of heaven opened for Devdas. He left behind a testimony of true love, that was pure, chaste, undemanding...and thus immortal. Indeed, love was his life...love makes him live on...

Sunday, July 14, 2002

Mafia threatens to kill Hrithik, Urmila!

Bollywood film stars and producers are in the grip of a terrifying extortion campaign unleashed by mafia dons who are threatening to kill them unless they pay huge amounts of money, police have told AFP. Gangsters are known to have issued extortion threats to such film luminaries as legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, super star Shahrukh Khan, hearthrob Hrithik Roshan and his producer-director father, Rakesh Roshan. Even film actresses Urmila Matondkar, Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala and Sonali Bendre have been targeted. Police officials say they have provided bodyguards to all those who have been threatened. Last week criminals fired gunshots at well-known film producer-director Lawrence D'Souza at his north Mumbai office, but he escaped unhurt. Police officials say the shots may have been deliberately fired away from D'Souza, as a warning after he did not respond to their extortion threats. D'Souza gained popularity in Bollywood after directing the hit film "Saajan", in the early 1990s. "The attack on D'Souza has once again highlighted the mafia's growing menace to Bollywood," Pradeep Shinde, the head of Mumbai police's anti-extortion unit told AFP. "Since June, gangsters seemed to have turned their eyes on Bollywood. These are some of those who have reported the threats. There are many who are afraid to register complaints." Bollywood stars have been subject to threats from the underworld for a long time, but police say extortion demands are now being issued nearly every other day. Shinde said some criminals, who recently broke away from top dons such as Dawood Ibrahim and Chota Rajan, had decided that Bollywood was a soft target. "Now many new gangsters belonging to the erstwhile gangs are attempting to make quick bucks. They, however, do not know that the film industry is in the doldrums, with money virtually disappearing," he said. It has been nearly six months since Bollywood produced a cash-spinner and over 150 films have flopped during this lean patch. Nevertheless, the glamour surrounding the film stars has attracted the criminals. Mumbai police this year killed gangsters who were allegedly planning to murder popular film producer and actor Aamir Khan and director Ashutosh Gowarikar. Both of them were then in the United States for the Oscar awards where their film "Lagaan", was nominated in the best foreign film category. Fears about the mafia receded during the late 1990s after the dreaded gangster, Abu Saleem, shifted to the United Arab Emirates when police killed a number of his top men. But the rumours are that Saleem, who is infamous for extorting the Mumbai film industry and the prime suspect in the killing of producer Gulshan Kumar in 1997, is back on the prowl in India. His top aides, as well as other mafia dons, are spreading panic in the industry, another police official said. The deep involvement of mafia in Bollywood was highlighted last year when one of the country's biggest film producers, Bharat Shah, was arrested for his underworld links in film financing. He was released on bail recently.

Sunday, July 14, 2002

Ganguly rips off shirt to celebrate!

Man of the match Mohammad Kaif's unbeaten 87 guided India to a remarkable two wicket triangular series final win over England at Lord's on Saturday. Chasing England's 325 for five, India finished on 326 for eight with three balls remaining. Zaheer Khan, who had earlier been the visitors most effective bowler with three wickets, was four not out. India's total was the second best score to win a one-day international following Australia's 330 against South Africa earlier this year. Skipper Sourav Ganguly, who celebrated the extraordinary win by ripping off his shirt and dancing round the balcony, said he had always thought they could snatch the trophy. "I have no words to describe it. It was marvellous. It was a fantastic performance by the team but merited on the way we played in the whole series," he said after India's second final victory at Lord's following their 1983 World Cup triumph. "I always thought given the great state of the pitch we were in with a chance," he insisted. "Kaif and Yuvraj Singh batted like champions." England captain Nasser Hussain, who scored his maiden one day century earlier in his 72nd appearance, paid fulsome tribute to the Indians. "To be honest I would rather have scored nought and won. Full credit to the Indians though, they played out of their skins and their batting just doesn't stop coming at you." "It was a great day's cricket, the weather, the crowd, and the two sets of supporters. You can't ask for anything more except to win. All the way through we never thought we had won," the Chennai-born Hussain said. And Hussain too paid tribute to Kaif. "He seems to hit the ball hard in all areas." Kaif's career-best one-day score came from 75 balls including two sixes and six fours. India were almost out of the game at 146 for five in the 24th over with 20-year-old Yuvraj Singh on three when 21-year-old Kaif came to the wicket. "I was never really nervous to tell you the truth and I knew when I joined Yuvraj we could still pull it off because I've played with him before and we know each others style and are good between the wickets," Kaif said. The pair stylishly brought India back into the game with a hundred partnership off 90 deliveries. A changed ball did not help England's cause, 39 runs coming off the first 21 deliveries after the switch. Left-hander Yuvraj brought up his fifty off 53 balls, Kaif reaching the landmark off just 50 balls. Entering the final 10 overs India needed 69 for victory. But Yuvraj then turned medium-pacer Paul Collingwood behind square and was caught by Tudor. India lost two wickets with the score on 314, Harbhajan Singh bowled by Andrew Flintoff for 15 and two balls later the same bowler having Anil Kumble caught behind for a duck. India got the target down to 11 runs off 12 balls and then two off six before they scrambled the winning runs. Earlier Marcus Trescothick, who was named man of the series, and Hussain both made hundreds as England piled up 325 for five. Trescothick made 109 and Hussain 115 - the England captain celebrating by patting himself on the back and gesticulating towards several of his critics, who had suggested he shouldn't bat as high as number three. "I just thought I should make a point to those who doubted I was worthy of batting that high," he said. Their second wicket stand of 185 was a record England partnership for any wicket against India in a one-day international, surpassing the 176 shared by Dennis Amiss and Keith Fletcher for the second wicket at Lord's in 1975. Khan finished with creditable figures of three for 62. Virender Sehwag and Ganguly were not overawed at chasing 326. Ganguly's fifty came from 35 balls with his ninth four, off former Lancashire team-mate Andrew Flintoff. Tudor ended Ganguly's assault, the India captain bowled for 60, his side 106 for one. And eight runs later India lost their second wicket when Sehwag (49) was bowled by left-arm spinner Ashley Giles. Dinesh Mongia (nine) fell next well-caught by wicket-keeper Alec Stewart standing up to the stumps off Ronnie Irani. Then Rahul Dravid (five) chipped Irani straight to Nick Knight at midwicket. And when Giles bowled India hero Sachin Tendulkar for a mere 14, England looked on course for victory.

Sunday, July 14, 2002

Centre will think if Jaya sends proposal to ban MDMK: Advani

Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said the Centre would consider any recommendation by the Tamil Nadu government for a ban on Vaiko's MDMK party, an NDA constituent, which has been accused of supporting LTTE. "If the state government sends any such proposal, the Centre will think about it," he told Doordarshan in an interview. He was replying to a question on a statement by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa seeking a ban on MDMK. Referring to Vaiko's arrest, Advani said he had told party leaders that the Government would make no comment on the issue as law and order was a state subject. However, he said he would not come in the way if BJP leaders commented on whatever they thought was right on the issue. Observing that Jayalalithaa had written to him and also sent a cassette of Vaiko's speeches, the DPM said that he had asked the Home Ministry to submit a full report on it. "But beyond that, I have not done anything". 21:02 IST

Sunday, July 14, 2002

India, US differ on infiltration issue

NEW DELHI: India and the US have differed in their assessments of infiltration across the LoC a week before US secretary of state Colin Powell comes to the sub-continent on a peace-brokering initiative. India has said there is an increase in infiltration. The US has spoken of an overall trend of significant decrease. While a state department spokesperson spoke of a ‘‘significant decline in infiltration along the LoC’’, external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha said that there was no evidence of this. Reiterating his comments that an earlier drop in infiltration had been succeeded by an increase after General Musharraf’s comments to Newsweek backtracking from his promises, Sinha told newspersons that India wanted proof of steps to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism. ‘‘There is absolutely no indication that Pakistan has taken any steps.’’ India, he said, had to have this proof in order to resume dialogue. State department spokes-man Richard Boucher, however, disputed the Indian assessment of an increase in infiltration saying the US was confident that whatever the ‘‘temporary increases, overall, there is a significant decline in the level of infiltration’’. While Boucher suggested that Powell would be looking for steps from both Pakistan and India to ease tension, Sinha was non-committal on any further steps.

Sunday, July 14, 2002

India beat England, clinch NatWest series

NEW DELHI: It was the stuff dreams are made off. When Mohammad Kaif and Zaheer completed the winning runs for India in the NatWest Trophy final against England in London on Saturday, a glorious chapter was added to the history of Indian cricket. What India achieved was the second highest victory target in a One-dayer ever. As twilight set on Lord’s, the Mecca of cricket, an emotional Indian captain Sourav Ganguly took his shirt off, soccer style, and jumped up and down. He then ran on to the pitch and piled on to Kaif, followed by Rahul Dravid and others as scores of Indians present at the ground cried themselves hoarse, enthused by the improbable triumph. After all, chasing 326 in 50 overs in a final against the home team is no joke. And when Sachin Tendulkar got out to leave India tottering at 146 for five, the verdict was all but out another final, another loss for India. But number seven Kaif produced the innings of his life (87 not out) and put up an incredible 121-run stand with Yuvraj Singh off just 106 balls to bring India within striking distance of the gargantuan target. Although Yuvraj was dismissed after a brilliant 69, Man of the Match Kaif kept going strong. Harbhajan Singh provided good support before he and Anil Kumble were snapped up by Andrew Flintoff in the space of three balls as India went through some late hiccups. Would the story of being so near yet so far be repeated once again? Kaif stood firm to romp India home with only three balls remaining. The heart-breaking losing streak of nine consecutive One-day finals was finally broken, and in splendid style. And cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya lost no time in announcing a bonus of Rs one crore to the squad. The Indian players’ lap of honour after the match was not only ecstatic, but also one of relief as they avoided the humiliation of losing another final. The Indian assault completely overshadowed the two centuries Marcus Trescothick and skipper Nasser Hussain had earlier hit for England.

Sunday, July 14, 2002

India's foreign exchange reserves swell to USD 58,005 million

India's foreign exchange reserves crossed the US dollar 58 billion mark following an increase of USD 43 million during the week ended July five. The country's foreign exchange reserves swelled to USD 58,005 million during this period as against USD 57,962 million in the previous week, according to Reserve Bank of India's weekly statistical supplement issued here today. However, foreign currency assets reduced by USD 37 million at USD 54,666 million, RBI said. According to market sources the reduction is mainly due to depreciation of the Euro vis-a-vis the US dollar. Special drawing rights were down by USD one million to USD nine million but gold increased by USD 81 million to USD 3,330 million, the apex bank added. Loans and advances to state and central governments as on June 28 increased by Rs 3.03 billion and Rs 34.21 billion to Rs 110.69 billion and Rs 54.71 billion respectively. Aggregate bank deposits during this fortnight rose by Rs 66.76 billion (0.6 per cent) to Rs 12039.66 billion, while bank credit was up by Rs 41.66 billion to Rs 6480.50 billion. Food credit increased by Rs 5.62 billion to Rs 610.08 billion during this period while non-food credit grew by Rs 36.04 billion to Rs 5870.43 billion, the bulletin said. 21:02 IST

Sunday, July 14, 2002

PM moots 8-point agenda for 8 per cent growth in 10th plan

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Friday unveiled an 8-point agenda that vows to 'reduce and retarget' subsidies, review regulatory procedures and push reforms to achieve an annual 8 per cent growth in the 10th plan. "Barring those who deserve subsidy, we should develop a culture of making all others pay for what they use ... so that the essential consumption of the poor, including social services, is protected, but the overall fiscal deficit is reduced," Vajpayee said at a meeting of his Economic Advisory Council. The root of the problem in the power sector was that half of the power sold was not billed and much of what was billed was not collected, he said, adding this was true about higher education, public transport and municipal services. "No reform can succeed if this sad state of affair persists. Time has come for everyone to realise that the nation is paying a heavy price in the form of slow and stunted development, for what citizens fail to pay," he warned. Stressing that the implementation of economic policies by both centre and states was a major challenge, Vajpayee said government has therefore begun a comprehensive review of the current regulatory procedures that imposed significant transaction costs and delays in implemention of projects. 14:35 IST

Saturday, July 13, 2002

Devdas is my tribute to Dilip Kumar: Shah Rukh

MUMBAI: Praise has begun to come from all quarters for his performance in Devdas, but Shah Rukh Khan who plays the ultimate tragic hero seems impervious to compliments. "That's me, I guess. I never took it seriously when, after seeing the trials of Devdas, distributors said I was still king. And I wouldn't react if people said I'm no longer the king," Shah Rukh said in an interview. Devdas, by director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, releases June 12 and is said to be the most expensive Bollywood film ever made. Says Shah Rukh: "In all fairness, I think Devdas is Aishwarya Rai's best performance to date. She's absolutely outstanding". "As for Madhuri I share a very close relationship with her. She's the soul of the film. If Devdas turns out to be a big success it would be because of the two girls, and of course director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I'm in no way responsible, that's for sure." Khan says his performance in Devdas is a homage to Dilip Kumar. "There's a sense of pride in treading the same track. It's like sitting in the same chair as Subhas Chandra Bose or Nehruji (Jawaharlal Nehru). I feel a great sense of achievement in having played a role that Dilip saab did. "I'm nowhere in the same league. He's way ahead of my capabilities. My Devdas is just a tribute to Dilip saab's performance. I hope that a lot of youngsters would watch me and then go back to watch Dilip saab as Devdas." With Devdas, Khan feels he has entered a new phase in his career. "Now after a decade of acting I want to start afresh, thinking like a newcomer who has no hits or memorable films behind him. That isn't to belittle my films so far. "Now after Devdas I want make a new start, work really hard on my acting and make super-hit films. I'm not going to sign a new film until I'm convinced I want to do it. My last release this year would be Boney Kapoor's Shakti. "I may sign another film after two months. I'm like Aamir Khan now. I'll only do a film when I want to. Until then I'll sit at home learning about life from my children. I sincerely believe if you want to start afresh you've to go back to your roots. My children are my best teachers." Shah Rukh says he wants to do a Hindi version of Spider-Man because his son wants him to. "If you can sustain a four-year-old child's interest for three hours, then according to me you're a true actor." A festival of Shah Rukh's films is being organised at the Edinburgh Film Festival later this year. "I get embarrassed by compliments and I get equally embarrassed by criticism. I've chosen 10 of my films including Kabhi Han Kabhi Na, Baazigar, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Asoka, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Dil Se and Devdas. "I never realised I had done such wonderful films."

Saturday, July 13, 2002

What does it take to be Ash's husband?

He was the Rajshris' hero of the 1980s. Starting in Chitchor and Sunayna, he worked with directors like Basu Chatterjee, Raj Kapoor and Kamal Amrohi. Two decades of playing varied character roles has Vijayendra Ghatge playing a biggie this time: in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Devdas. Ghatge claims he still has not seen the film in its entirety: "But whatever bits I have seen of it is beautiful."adds. Devdas has been an auspicious beginning for this erstwhile prince. He has already signed up films with [producer] Vashu Bhagnani, another with Akshaye Khanna and Ajay Devgan and a Pritish Nandy Communications film. For Ghatge, playing Aishwarya Rai's husband in Devdas was a tailormade role.: When I got a call from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's office, it was actually to play a part opposite Kiron Kher (who plays Paro's mother). The call was a welcome surprise. I had moved on to television after trying my hand at films, and I had cut down on both due to my interests outside the entertainment industry. But I had been looking to returning to the big screen, and I could not have chosen a better vehicle than Devdas. When I met Sanjay, he realised I would fit the part of Zaminder Bhuvan, the man Paro (Aishwarya Rai) marries. I got the gist of the character when I sat down with the script along with Sanjay and Prakash Kapadia, the screenplay writer. I play a widower with two children. He remarries at his mother's insistence. What I like about my character is that he comes from a noble lineage. There is a dignity, a grace in him that appealed to me. Besides, there is a tinge of deep sorrow somewhere --- of having loved his wife and lost her. And he is still wallowing in sorrow. However, he wants to maintain decorum in the house and society. Sardar, as he is called in the film, is a khandaani aadmi [tradionalist], principled and sensitive. He wants to welcome Paro into his house, but does not want her to have any illusions about the life she would lead with him. I signed on the role purely because of what I saw of it through Sanjay's eyes. My role is not very long, but it is high in impact. My favourite scene is the kaalraatri scene. It portrays our wedding night when I show Paro the portrait of my first wife. With that I subtly indicate that while she would be my wife, I will never touch her. He defines the parameters of their relationship right from the word go. He tells she can do anything she likes within the chaukhat [doorstep] of the house, but she cannot step over the boundary of his house literally and metaphorically. In this scene, Aishwarya is surprised, but in some ways, the situation suits her. She has walked into the marriage on the rebound. She has been spurned by the man she loves and, in some way, is happy with befalls her fate. I like the drama and the simplicity of this scene. As the film progresses, the different shades of his character are shown and how the empathy develops between the two of them. There is a scene, where he rebukes her for crossing the boundary of the house --- but he does that very gently, letting her know that he does understand what she is going through. All of us have a vein of sadness in ourselves for what could have been. That is one trait I identify with strongly. The last scene is also very powerful. He sees Paro running out of the house because Devdas is dying outside and he actually stops her from crossing the boundary of his house. Aishwarya is cooperative, easy to work with and down-to-earth. She has taken a lot of effort in each scene and dance. And she looks stunning. What I like most about Devdas is its sheer grandeur and larger-than-life depiction. For example, one usually uses one haveli [mansion] for shots. In this film, Sanjay constructed four havelis for Shah Rukh (Khan), Madhuri (Dixit), Aishwarya and me. Even the costumes are avant-garde. I have worked with many filmmakers who have made period and historical films. But after Kamal Amrohi's Pakeezah and Razia Sultana, this is the only other lavish film I have ever seen. Be it art direction, music, dances or the avant-garde costumes --- everything has been made well. I have worked with Raj Sippy, Raj Kapoor and other top directors of our country. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is in their league. Whether the film is a superflop, a super hit or somewhere in-between, I know the passion and sincerity with which he has worked on this film will always make it stand out in Indian cinema. What I like about his style of directing is that he roughly stages a scene before Binod Pradhan [cinematographer] lights up the sets. This is what Stanley Kubrick called the Crucial Rehearsal Period. So we would go through the entire scene: our entrances, movements and dialogues. Sanjay is such a passionate filmmaker that it rubs off on his crew. On the sets, the atmosphere is always focused on the scene being shot. Sanjay demands a lot from himself, his assistants and his team --- the mood on the sets reflects that. Much has been said about Devdas being a remake and comparisons have been drawn up. I have not seen the other two [P C Barua's 1935 classic, starring K L Saigal and Bimal Roy's 1955 classic, starring Dilip Kumar]. Because once you see them, you tend to use it a reference point somewhere in your mind. I am sure this Devdas will be completely different from all the other versions made. Sanjay has been inspired by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel and he has drawn on the structure of the story. But the spirit and the treatment of the film is all his own. People have also questioned its relevance. I wonder how relevant are today's films that are being churned out every year. Themes have been repeated before and remakes have been made. For me, Devdas captures the elegance of an era gone by, where time, emotion, love stood still. It is a story where love was not instant, not on demand. Sanjay has managed to capture the flavour of a musical, a tragic love story tinged with sacrifice and passion.

Saturday, July 13, 2002

Latest Bollywood Box-Office Position

This week is the release of the magnum opus of 2002 Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwairya Rai. One of the highlights of the film is that even before its official release, the film has already been screened at the Cannes Film Festival where it received a lot of appreciation. Let's see how the audience reacts to this film. Last week was the release of Abbas-Mastan directed, suspense thriller Humraaz starring Bobby Deol, Akshaye Khanna and Amisha Patel. The film was different and had all the masalas of a Bollywood film. It had hit music, was appreciated by the critics, had a very glossy look, but alas, something was missing in it. The film did not go down well with the audiences. The opening of the film was good at many places but average in many. The expectation that this film might be a hit all over has been toned down. Sanjay Chhel-directed Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa is a flop. The overall business of the film is poor almost everywhere. Inspite of hit music and good promotions, the confused story of the film was not acceptable. The film will entail heavy losses to its distributors. The film did a business of 66% in Mumbai (from 13 cinemas) and 37% in Delhi (from 11 cinemas). The all-over India collection of the film were approx Rs 1.70 crores. Esha Deol had a lot of expectations from Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa. This is her third flop in a row, the first two being Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche and Na Tum Jaano Na Hum. Esha needs a hit to establish herself in the film industry. Though she is improving with every film, in terms of looks and acting, she is nowhere close to perfection. Esha has no release for a long time so we will have to wait and watch how her next release fares. D Rama Naidu's Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahen starring Fardeen Khan and Richa Pallod is a disaster. The film was much below average everywhere. The film did a business of 30% in Mumbai (from 10 cinemas) and a mere 17% in Delhi (from 8 cinemas).In its second week, the film is out from many theatres. Fardeen Khan still needs a big hit in his career. His previous solo release Hum Ho Gaye Aapke also was a big disaster and did not even got an average opening. The same seems to be fate of his second solo release this year. Now in this month, Fardeen will be seen in a multi-starrer, Anupam Kher's directorial debut Om Jai Jagdish co-starring with him are Anil Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Waheeda Rehman, Mahima Chaudhary, Urmilla Matondkar. Hopefullly this film will give Fardeen the required hit in his career. Vikram Bhatt directed multi-starrer Awara Pagaal Deewana (Akshay, Sunil and Aftab) is good in Mumbai, Rajasthan and South. However in other parts, the collections started falling from the second week onwards. Overall, the is an above average fare. The film did a business of 68% in Mumbai (from 13 cinemas). The film is best in Mumbai and is a hit in this circuit. Yash Raj Films'Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai did a business of 44% in Mumbai (from 7 cinemas). Top 5 Films of the week: 1. Humraaz -- NEW 2. Awara Paagal Deewana -- Above Average 3. Kyaa Dil Ne Kaaha -- Flop 4. Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi -- Good in cities; Average 5. The Legend of Bhagat Singh -- Good in Maharashtra, South; Losing elsewhere

Saturday, July 13, 2002

Salman to perform dare-devil stunt at Bollywood Awards

Salman Khan, voted by People magazine, as One of the Best Looking Men in the World , will be performing in New York after a long time at the Bollywood Awards to be held at the Nassau Coliseum there this week on June 29, 2002. Salman, who will be performing some songs, is expected to do a dare-devil stunt to mark his entry (beating Akshay Kumar to his game, eh!!?). And with his new bald look and newly acquired extra muscles which have added to his super physique, his fans can surely look forward to a lot of excitement (shirt-stripping or no shirt-stripping). The Khan brat will be joined at the Awards by many more Indian and international celebrities, some of whom will be present to receive their awards and many to perform on stage. A few of the top names who will be there are Fardeen Khan, Urmila Matondkar, Anil Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Saif Ali Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahima Chaudhary, Diya Mirza, Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan, Tusshar Kapoor, Vasundhara Das, Anupam Kher, Jeetendra, Karan Johar, Vashu Bhagnani and Amrish Puri.

Saturday, July 13, 2002

Om Jai Jagadish

This is the tale of three brothers. Om (Anil Kapoor), Jai (Fardeen Khan) and Jagadish (Abhishek Bachchan). Om is a simple man with extraordinary abilities. Working for a music company, he has an unerring instinct for spotting talent, sometimes in the unlikeliest of places. Thanks to him, a lift-man and a taxi driver have become major singing sensations. Jai is ambitious and driven and obsessed with creating a fast car that will revolutionise the automobile industry. Recognising Jai's brilliance, Om has stinted no efforts in giving him the best education possible. To send Jai abroad, Om has taken massive loans from his company, positive that his clever brother will never let him down. Jagadish is a light-hearted youngster studying in college. When he's not fooling around with his pals, he is stuck to his computer, trying to hack into sites. Om loves and marries Ayesha (Mahima), a MTV VJ. Jai loves Neetu (Urmila Matondkar), the daughter of rich NRI parents. Jagadish has given his heart to Pooja (Tara Sharma), a fellow student. Jai receives a fabulous job offer from General Motors, but because he loves and respects Om so much and because Om wants the entire family to be together, Jai reluctantly comes back to India. Meanwhile, Jagadish wants to do a sophisticated computer course and requests Om for money. Heavily burdened with paying off the loans he has taken for Jai's education, Om flatly refuses him. Hurt and angry, Jagadish accuses Om of favouritism and discrimination. Jai too shocks Om by informing him that he is returning to the US. And then comes the final blow. Jagadish is found guilty of hacking into the college computer and stealing the exam papers. A shattered Om tells Jagadish to get out of the house. In one day, Om has lost what he loves most in the world - his brothers. Three brothers, three separate ways. Om Jai Jagadish is a story about life...about its moments of glory and times of despair... a story about tenacity, ambition and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. Om Jai Jagadish is also a story about the powerful bonds of love that no force on earth can tear apart. But above all, Om Jai Jagadish is a prayer - a prayer for togetherness.

Saturday, July 13, 2002

Jaswant Singh says economy perking up

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Finance Minister Jaswant Singh said on Friday the country's economy was looking up and the government would make efforts to maintain the momentum. "I'm very heartened that there is an upswing in the economy, in fact in all sectors of the economy, and the government will make efforts to sustain the upswing," Singh told reporters after a meeting with the deputy head of India's economic planning panel. The economy grew 5.4 percent in 2001/02 (April-March), boosted by strong growth in the agricultural sector but some other sectors, including industry, were in the grips of a slowdown last year. Recent economic indicator figures have shown tentative signs of recovery in the economy.

Saturday, July 13, 2002

Gujarat rally peaceful, religious tensions high

AHMEDABAD (Reuters) - An annual Hindu procession in the volatile state of Gujarat that had sparked fears of fresh religious bloodshed ended peacefully on Friday under the watchful eyes of thousands of riot police. But as the procession in Ahmedabad of singing and chanting devotees led by a dozen gaily decorated elephants wound to a close after passing through Muslim neighbourhoods, police said they had foiled a plot to attack the parade. Police said they arrested a man whom they accused of seeking revenge for his 19-year-old son's death in a wave of religious violence that swept the state in February and March. "You just can't imagine how big a tragedy it would have been," police joint commissioner P.P. Panday told reporters. Thirteen others were also arrested and a big haul of weapons seized, including homemade explosives, but no charges had been laid yet, they said. Analysts had said the ability of the state government, headed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party which also leads the ruling federal coalition, to ensure the parade passed peacefully would be a test of its assurances that calm had been restored. Sharpshooters watched from rooftops and 30,000 security men were posted along the 13-km parade route in the city, Gujarat's largest commercial centre, that had borne the brunt of India's deadliest religious violence in a decade. Officials say some 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, died in a wave of revenge killings and clashes that began after 59 people were killed when a train carrying Hindu devotees was torched. Police blamed a Muslim mob for the arson attack. Human rights groups put the total death toll at 2,500. MUSLIMS STAW AWAY Thousands of terrified Muslims had streamed into relief camps in Ahmedabad on the eve of the procession or "yatra", fearing new attacks by Hindus, but police reported no incidents. "The yatra has passed off peacefully," said police commissioner K.R. Kaushik. The procession wound through the narrow streets of some of the most communally sensitive parts of the city where mainly Muslims live. Thousands of Hindus danced to pounding drums and music blaring from trucks. Others sang holy songs and cried "Hail Lord Krishna". Traditionally both Hindus and Muslims come out to watch the procession that begins in the early morning and lasts till evening. But this year many Muslims stayed indoors, peeping at the parade through curtained windows. A number of survivors said the state government and police had turned a blind eye to the violence in which victims were burned or hacked to death -- accusations authorities have denied. Many Muslims had said they were not reassured despite the massive police presence this year. "There's a lot of tension, one doesn't know what will happen," said hardware shop owner Murtkja Rangwalla. "I've no faith in the local police." But for participants in the parade, it was a time of celebration. Devotees took turns pulling the "rath" or chariot carrying three deities -- Lord Krishna, his brother Balram and his sister Subadhra. Lord Krishna, usually depicted as dark blue in colour and one of the most popular deities in the Hindu pantheon, is believed to have been sent to earth to fight for good. "I wait for this day every year. It's a divine feeling when you serve Lord Krishna," said Devibhai Ghadvi, awaiting his turn to pull the chariot.

Saturday, July 13, 2002

Modi flags off Rathyatra as thousands join in festivity

Amidst tight security cover, the 125th Rathyathra guarded by commandoes was flagged off by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi from the Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur gate area of the city at 7 am Friday. A beaming Modi was atop one of the chariots when it was pulled out by devouts from the historic Temple to begin the procession, even as surging crowds gathered along the 35-km route since morning. The procession which has been reduced to minimum and length also been cut to one and half kilometres, instead of four kilometres, comprised chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balbhadra and Subhadra. It was led by a dozen elephants followed by 33 trucks carrying devotees, 10 bhajan mandalis, 15 akharas with people following the chariots. Meanwhile, markets on the yatra route remained closed and 'janata curfew' was voluntarily imposed in minority-dominated localities by members of the community, many among them having already left for safer places. Former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, Minister of state for Home Gordhan Zadafia, Health Minister Ashok Bhatt, Minister of State for Revenue Haren Pandya, Chief Secretary G Subharao, Additional Chief Secretary for Home Ashok Narain and Director General of Police K Chakravarty were present. Rathyatras were also being taken out under heavy police bandobast in 23 other places in the state, including Bhavnagar where the police had seized a huge cache of firearms and lethal weapons this week. 09:33 IST

Saturday, July 13, 2002

SC stays HC judgement quashing chargesheet against Hindujas

A month after the Delhi High Court quashed the CBI chargesheet against the three Hinduja brothers in the Rs 64 crore Bofors payoff case, the Supreme Court Friday stayed the order and directed continuance of the proceedings before the trial court while fixing July 29 for further hearing in the case. "We are staying the operation of the Delhi High Court judgement and all proceedings before the trial court should go on," ordered a three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice B N Kirpal, Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice Arijit Pasayat just when Solicitor General Harish Salve stood up to argue the the CBI appeal against the High Court order. Counsel for the Hinduja brothers, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, pleaded repeatedly that the case could be fixed for early hearing and in the meantime the trial proceedings should be stayed as its continuance would cause prejudice to the accused. The Bench would have none of his arguments and observed "We are convinced that this (High Court) judgement is completely unsustainable. Forget about this case, if such judgements are not stayed, no prosecution will succeed." High Court Judge, Justice R S Sodhi had on June 10 quashed the chargesheet filed against the Europe-based Hinduja brothers - Srichand, Gopichand and Prakash Chand - saying CBI had not the mandatory clearance from Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) prior to filing of the chargesheet as mandated by the Supreme Court in Vineet Narain judgement. "The Vineet Narain judgement is not meant for this," the Bench observed while fixing hearing of the appeal for July 29. 09:33 IST

Saturday, July 13, 2002

Steps to be initiated to ban MDMK, Jaya

A day after the arrest of MDMK chief Vaiko under POTA, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Friday toughened her stand saying she would initiate steps to ban his party for its open support to "deadly and treacherous" LTTE but MDMK hit back daring her to take such an action. Hours after Vaiko, arrested Thursday for his pro-LTTE utterances, was remanded to 27-day judicial custody by a court in Madurai, Jayalalithaa ruled out any political motive for his arrest. "It is a self-created thing. Who asked him to address a public meeting at Thirunamangalam in support of LTTE. We have prima facie case against him and all the documents will be produced in a special court to be constituted to conduct trial in the case," she told reporters here. Jayalalithaa said the MDMK General Council at its recent executive meeting had passed a resolution that the party's very existence was for fighting the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils and its support to the LTTE would continue. It had nothing to do for India or for Tamil Nadu, which was a dangerous trend, she added. "We will initiate steps to get the MDMK banned," the Chief Minister said. Reacting to this, MDMK leader and Union Minister M Kannappan dared Jayalalithaa to ban his party saying it had done nothing wrong to attract such an action. "Let Jayalalithaa ban our party. We are ready to face it," Kannappan told reporters in Coimbatore. "We will not be cowed down by this threat as we have not done anything which warranted a ban," he said. 09:33 IST

Saturday, July 13, 2002

'Region still volatile despite reduction in Indo-Pak tension'

Terming the Indo-Pak border as dangerous and volatile, United States has said that it will continue to remain actively and consistently involved in the region. "Through the very act of diplomacy and some of the personal efforts of the President, Secretary of State and numerous other diplomats, tensions have indeed been reduced tremendously between India and Pakistan," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said at a briefing yesterday. "However, it remains one of the world's most volatile, dangerous regions. It is an area the Administration is going to remain actively and consistently engaged in. Hence the Secretary's trip," he said speaking on Secretary of State Colin Powell's forthcoming visit to the subcontinent. 09:33 IST

Thursday, July 11, 2002

Commandos to protect chariots during Gujarat rath yatra

PTI AHMEDABAD: Commandos would protect the chariots and bomb disposal squads keep a tight vigil as security forces threw a massive security cover to ensure that the rath yatra on Friday passes off peacefully. Over 5,000 policemen and 80 companies of State Reserve Police, Central Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force and Border Security Force would be deployed along the 35-km route of the yatra that will criss-cross through some of the sensitive localities of the State capital. "It is not that we have covered the Rathyatra route only but we have also covered sufficiently the areas along the route, the sensitive areas particularly," said Ahmedababd Police Commissioner K R Kaushik. Police is also not taking any chances because of the yatra coinciding with Friday prayers in mosques. The security apparatus dealing with the yatra comprises one Inspector General, six DIGs, 25 Superintendents, 55 Deputy Superintendents, 180 Inspectors and 750 Sub-Inspectors. Police sources said after a review of the security drill on Wednesday that the chariots of Jagannath, Balram and Subadhra deities would be protected by commandos through the entire route of the yatra which will commence at 7 am from Jamalpur. Bomb disposal squad will sanitise the entire 35-km route and sniffer dogs pressed into service before the commencement of the 125th edition of the rathyatra. Security adviser to the Gujarat Chief Minister K P S Gill, who reviewed the security situation on Wednesday, has said that the yatra would be an "acid test" for the state authorities in handling the procession. He has voiced confidence that the yatra would pass off smoothly. Kaushik said even the areas not covered by the yatra are not being left "unattended". "There also we are keeping a large number of police contingents with senior police officers," he said. He said the most encouraging thing in the run-up to the yatra is that everybody has said the procession must be taken out and have offered fullest cooperation. "Even the Muslims have gone to the extent of saying that the route should not be changed," he said. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has already voiced concern over the yatra being taken out because of the communal situation in the state. Acharya Mahapragyaji, head of the Teerapanth Jain sect, said he has held separate meetings with Muslims and Hindu representatives and police officials to ensure maintenance of peace. A five point resolution was also passed in this regard. A report from Baroda said as a preacautionary measure prayers in all sensitive areas in the city would be completed by two pm on Friday to ensure the smooth passage of the rathyatra. The procession has been organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON). The members of Muslim communities would impose a "Janata curfew" in Muslim dominated areas during the passing of the yatra to prevent any untoward incident. Police have also rounded up 100 anti-social elements from various parts of Baroda as a preventive measure.

Thursday, July 11, 2002

India rules out immediate resumption of talks with Pak

India firmly ruled out any immediate resumption of dialogue with Pakistan as climate conducive for this ''doesn't exist'' and said its concerns over stepped-up infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir would be conveyed to US Secretary of State Colin Powell during his visit here later this month. ''Dialogue can be resumed only when there is a climate conducive for it,'' External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao told reporters yesterday when asked about Powell underscoring the need for India and Pakistan to resume their dialogue to reduce tensions. Such a climate could be created only when Pakistan puts a permanent end to infiltration, cross-border terrorism and takes visible and credible action to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism, she said. ''Powell's visit should be seen as an occasion for us to articulate our concerns and outline our priorities,'' she said. Powell yesterday said he would be visiting India and Pakistan later this month to accelerate easing of tensions between the two countries and urge them to resume dialogue to resolve their outstanding differences including the Kashmir problem. New Delhi's concerns were also conveyed to Britain during talks visiting foreign policy adviser to British Premier Tony Blair, Sir David Manning had with External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is slated to visit India and Pakistan next week. 09:42 IST

Thursday, July 11, 2002

230 MDMK workers taken into preventive custody

As many as 230 MDMK workers have been taken into preventive custody since last night in the district, following party's announcement to stage state-wide picketing in the event of the arrest of party leader Vaiko, police said. Eighty one workers, including Thamburaj, state youth wing deputy secretary, were taken into custody from the city, while 149 were taken from other parts of the district 11:17 IST

Thursday, July 11, 2002

Vaiko says he will fight the battle legally

MDMK chief Vaiko, against whom a non-bailable warrant has been issued by Thirumangalm magistrate after state government charged him under POTA for his pro-LTTE speeches, said on Thursday he will not seek Centre's intervention but would fight his "battle legally". "I will not ask for the Centre's intervention nor create any inconvenience for the union government" Vaiko whose party is a constituent in the BJP-led NDA government, told reporters here. Vaiko, who arrived from Chicago early Thursday morning, will leave for Chennai later in the day. "I am of the view that the Centre should not enter into the domain of the state", he said. Lashing out at Jayalalithaa government for invoking POTA against him and his party functionaries, the MDMK leader charged that the anti-terrorism law was being used against him and his partymen to gain political mileage. "However, I will not develop cold feet that will take the matter to the streets of Tamil Nadu", he said. Asked about any probable trouble by MDMK supporters in case of his arrest, Vaiko said he never indulged in violence. He also appealed to them to remain calm saying "I will fight my battle legally".

Thursday, July 11, 2002

Alexander's resignation not in state's interest: Thackeray

Stating that the resignation of Dr P C Alexander as Maharashtra Governor was not in the interest of the state, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray Thursday said "he must be pained after losing the race for the President's post". "Alexander's resignation ahead of expiry of his term indicates that something was hurting him and that's why he must have resigned," Thackeray, who had assidiously backed the Maharashtra Governor for the President's post, said in his reaction in the party mouthpiece `Saamna' here. Alexander was the front runner and presidential candidate after NDA proposed his name but had to make way for the consensus nominee, missile technologist Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, the Sena chief said adding, "he must be hurt by this". "We politicians are responsible for creating such a situation," Thackeray said apparently referring to Alexander being named as the presidential candidate, then dropped and his subsequent resignation as the Governor of Maharashtra. Sena chief said `developments in politics are fast paced' but the news of Alexander's resignation had surpised him. Thackeray said he had always supported Alexander for the President's post and there was even a broad consensus in NDA for his name. However, Kalam's entry changed all equations, he said adding that "Alexander was the most suitable candidate... we have lost a good president". Thackeray, who held a close door meeting with Alexander after Kalam surged ahead in the race for the President's post, however, refused to divulge the details of the meeting. Showering wholesome praise on Alexander, the Sena chief described him as "cultured, tolerant, impartial and a governor with huge administrative experience".

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

When the original Devdas looks back

Even as critics sharpen their claws, and the audience gets ready to pass verdict on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Rs 50-crore interpretation of Devdas, the man who immortalised that role on celluloid sits peacefully in his living room poring over the morning newspaper. ''I wish they wouldn't make all these comparisons,'' Dilip Kumar says in his trademark soft voice. ''Shah Rukh Khan is a fine actor, and Sanjay Bhansali is a very talented director. I'm sure their version will be faithful to the book, and a gripping film in itself,'' the thespian says. Like Bhansali and Shah Rukh who are peeved over constant comparisons to Bimal Roy's version starring Dilip Kumar, the legendary actor himself says ''it's not fair to the new film. As long as the attempt is sincere, as long as they're not remaking it with the aim of outdoing the earlier versions, I think we should give them a fair chance,'' he explains. For his own part, Dilip Kumar says ''playing the role of the love-struck drunk was a challenge for more reasons than one. To begin with, I didn't really agree with much of the characters thinking. I didn't approve of some of his actions either. But Sarat Chandra Chatterjee is a great novelist, and he managed to make such a far-fetched idea so believable,'' the actor says. Equally difficult for him was trying to portray the alcoholic realistically when he wasn't much of a drinker himself. ''And at the time, I also felt I was too young to play such an intense character. I thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew and was a little uncomfortable in the beginning,'' he reveals. He says he was a little overwhelmed by all the appreciation he earned for his performance in the film, but insists that ''there are other films in which I think I've performed equally well''. He shrugs off the flattery when you tell him Shah Rukh is saddled with the burden of living up to the standards he set in the same role, and believes instead that audiences remember characters not the actors who played them. He believes that Shah Rukh's approach to the role might be different, and ''I'm sure that the audience will appreciate his performance in the film as well''.

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

8 MDMK leaders arrested under POTA

Invoking the tough anti-terrorism law POTA for the first time, Tamil Nadu government Tuesday arrested eight MDMK leaders, including a former MP and a former MLA their pro-LTTE statements even as police moved a court afresh for a non-bailable warrant against party chief Vaiko after it had refused the measure against him. The arrested include former MP E Ganesamurthy and former MLA P S Manian after local magistrate S Venkatachalapathy issued yesterday NBWs against the eight for their utterances supporting banned LTTE at a MDMK rally at Thirumangalam on June 29. However, he refused to comply with a police request to issue a warrant against Vaiko. "Why should Vaiko, the first MP to support the POTA, be arrested, was the question which the police were not able to answer," a top police official told this morning. The voluminous records, including large number of cassettes and visuals, did not convince the magistrate to issue the arrest warrant against Vaiko, the official said. But police moved the same court again today pleading for a NBW against Vaiko. "We have already moved the court at Thirumangalam in Madurai district today on the matter," a highly placed police source told in Chennai. Asked if police would move the court for NBW against Vaiko, who is scheduled to return to Chennai from Chicago on July 11, DGP B P Nailwal said "sure, naturally." Vaiko in a statement from Chicago, asked his partymen to maintain calm. He described the arrests as a "repression" let loose against the political opposition.

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

Alexander quits as Governor

After serving Maharashtra as Governor for nine years, P C Alexander Tuesday suddenly resigned from the post in the backdrop of having been denied NDA nomination for Presidentship. The 81-year-old former bureaucrat, who served as Principal Secretary to the Late Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, submitted his resignation to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, who told reporters today that it has been forwarded to President K R Narayanan for acceptance. The surprise decision of the Governor came about a month after he had emerged as an early front runner for the President's post but failed to get the nod after a last minute compromise in the ruling alliance which plumped for missile technologist A P J Abdul Kalam. Alexander declined to spell out reasons for his sudden decision but made it clear that he is not in the race for Vice-Presidency. "There is no proposal for Vice-Presidency," Alexander told newsmen when asked whether he is in the fray for the Vice-Presdential elections. Alexander met Advani in the morning and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the evening in what was seen as farewell calls. A former Indian High Commissioner to Britain, Congress-appointed Alexander had established good rapport with Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharahstra on account of which his Governorship was extended by the NDA government at the end of a five-year term in 1998 and was formally re-appointed for a second term. 09:55 IST

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

4 Hizbul militants held in UP

Four Hizbul Mujahideen militants who planned to strike in-and-around New Delhi on the Independence Day were arrested in Moradabad and Rampur districts of Uttar Pradesh Tuesday, state police chief R K Pandit said. A large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives was recovered from the ISI-trained ultras, Pandit told reporters here. Two were arrested from Bhojpur in Moradabad district and the rest from a house in Kamarpur village in neighbouring Rampur district, he said.

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

Minister resigns, Rabri persuades him to stay on

In an anti-climax, senior Bihar Minister Gulam Sarwar Tuesday quit following differences with RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav over nomination of a member of University syndicate but took back his resignation within hours on being persuaded by Chief Minister Rabri Devi. Sarwar, created a flutter by announcing his resignation following differences over nomination of Congress member of the state legislative council Nilamber Choudhury to the syndicate of Rajendra Agriculture University in Samastipur district. But shortly afterwards, Rabri Devi, speaking to reporters in her chamber in the assembly in the presence of Sarwar, said that "Sarwar is our chacha (uncle) and our guardian... he has been persuaded to continue in the cabinet. The differences have been sorted out". Sarwar said "differences have been resolved and since the Chief Minister has not accepted my resignation I will continue in office".

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

US "anxious" to get through Indo-Pak crisis

Reaffirming its desire to have good relationship with both India and Pakistan, the United States has said it is "anxious" to get through the current crisis and see a dialogue begin between the two South Asian neigbours on the Kashmir issue. "It is a very difficult issue. And what we are trying to do now is to make sure that both the Indians and the Pakistanis understand that the United States is interested in them beyond this crisis. We want a good relationship with India on every aspect of that relationship, economic, trade cooperation, military cooperation. The same thing with Pakistan," US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday. "We are anxious to get through this crisis and see a dialogue begin between the two sides so that we can start to move forward to help find a solution to the problem in Kashmir ultimately," Powell, who is expected to visit India and Pakistan towards the end of this month, said testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said the US has worked "very hard" to keep the Indo-pak tension from "blowing up or boiling over on us. And I spend an enormous amount of time on the telephone with the two sides, spoke to President (Pervez) Musharraf again yesterday (Monday), spoke to the new Indian Foreign Minister (Yashwant Sinha) on Sunday." The Committee hearing was called to discuss the agreement between the US and Russia to reduce the number of strategic weapons but there is no real bar to raising other issues.

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

Powell to visit India, Pakistan

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said he expects to visit India and Pakistan towards the end of this month to acclerate the on going diplomatic drive to ease the tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. "We have worked very hard to keep this thing (Indo-Pak tensions) from blowing up, boiling over on us," Powell said at a Senate Foreign Relations committee meeting here Tuesday. "I've spent a great amount of time on the telephone with both the sides, spoke to (Pakistani) President Musharraff yesterday and spoke to Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha on Sunday," he said. "Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Secretary Donald Rumsfeld did yeomen work when they went over (to India and Pakistan). I expect to be visiting there before the end of the month," Powell said. Powell did not give any specific dates for his visit but he is due to travel to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministirial and regional forum meetings in Brunei on July 30 and 31. He made a personal peace shuttle to India and Pakistan early this year, as tensions between the two sides peaked over the December 13 Parliament attack which New Delhi blamed on Pak-based militants.

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

Irani spells doom for India with a dream performance

India's winning run in the triangular one-day series ended in a rude shock when they suffered a comprehensive 64-run defeat to England in a rain-truncated league match here Tuesday. It was a great fall for a side that came into the match with convincing victories in three of their four earlier matches - the other, against England, being abandoned due to rain. Not only were India bowled out inside their quota of 32 overs, they also became the first side in the tournament to concede a bonus point to the opposition. The hero of the match was Ronnie Irani who came up with career-best batting and bowling performances to bag the man of the match award. After top-scoring with 53, his first one-day half-century, to power England to 229, Irani bowled a dream spell of seven overs, claiming five wickets for 26 runs, to restrict India to 165 in 29.1 overs. His victims included India's top-scorer Virender Sehwag, who made a 41-ball 46 with eight fours and a six, and Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif. This was the first defeat for India in the tournament. The victory is a big psychological boost for England as the two sides are to meet again in the final on Saturday. India have another league encounter left, against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Tuesday, July 9, 2002

Police obtains arrest warrants against 8 MDMK volunteers

Madurai police have obtained arrest warrants against eight MDMK volunteers in a POTA Case registered against them for making pro-LTTE remarks at a public meeting at Thirumangalam on June 29. The Magistrate of the Thirumangalam court S Venkatachalapathy, who issued the warrants last mid-night, had however not issued warrant against the MDMK Secretary Vaiko. Police could not make clear why a warrant was not issued against Vaiko. Under POTA, a cosgnizable offence, the police need not obtain warrant, and the investigating officer could effect arrest. However, the warrant was sought as a matter of caution, police said. "The Government did not want to draw a flak by arresting Vaiko as in the case of the DMK President Karunanidhi," said a police officer. The magistrate was hesitant to give warrant to Vaiko, so we did not press" said an investigation officer.

Tuesday, July 9, 2002

Gentle succession planned in ’86

MUMBAI: Dhirubhai Ambani passed on the baton to his two sons on Saturday night. But he had been preparing for this since 1986, when he suffered his first stroke. Although Ambani Sr remained the driving force behind the Reliance group’s vision and strategy, he yielded operational control to Mukesh, 44, and Anil, 42. The grooming began early. Only a high-school matriculate himself, Dhirubhai made sure his sons had the best professional training to cope with a growing empire. Mukesh, the vice-chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, is a Stanford graduate and the projects man of the group. He got the Patalganga petrochemicals project started, and managed expansions at Hazira and Jamnagar. ‘‘Under his father’s guidance, it is Mukesh who spearheaded the setting up of the group’s refinery and now is looking after the group’s infocom and biotechnology ventures,’’ an analyst said. His role clearly points to Mukesh being the chief visionary of the group. Managing director Anil is a Wharton Business School graduate who has developed into the public face of the group, interacting tirelessly with the media, analysts, investors and financiers. Part of his role is to drive the group’s financial management. "The Ambani brothers have complementary functions. The long-standing speculation that the the two group companies Reliance Industries and Reliance Petroleum may go to the two brothers was snuffed out earlier this year when the two companies were merged,’’ said an analyst. The group also has a strong team of hands-on professionals like Alok Agarwal, Manoj Modi and Amitabh Jhunjhunwala who look after specific functions like finance or head a group business like mutual funds. The average employee age of 36 bodes well for its ability to cope with challenges and change. A generation later, a few key positions continue to be held by Dhirubhai’s sister, Trilochanaben’s sons Nikhil and Hetal Meswani, who are directors of Reliance Industries and key men when it comes to managing new projects. His other sister, Jashumatiben’s son is a manager in the company. Dhirubhai’s two daughters, Neena and Dipti, are married to Shyam Kothari and Raj Salgaonkar, respectively, and are not involved in the group’s businesses. Of Dhirubhai’s two brothers, Natwarlal Ambani passed away a few years back and Ramnikbhai is on the company board. Natwarlal’s two sons and Ramnikbhai’s son Vimal after whom the group’s superbrand Vimal is named are not involved in the running of the group’s businesses.

Tuesday, July 9, 2002

Kokilaben, the wind beneath Dhirubhai's wings

MUMBAI: As Dhirubhai Ambani bid farewell to the world, my heart reached out to his wife Kokilaben. She sat in a corner, teary-eyed. But even in that crisis situation, Kokilaben was a picture of calm. She didn’t say a word to anybody, enduring the pain all alone. In her serenity lies her strength. Dhirubhai was a great visionary. As time passed, he realised all his dreams. But his pillar of strength was his wife. She saw him through thick and thin, she’s grown with him. Having the good fortune of knowing the family closely for 30 years, I can say they’ve been a great couple two individuals who understood each other well. They had a great bonding. As a successful businessman, Dhirubhai was busy, but yet he never neglected her. Like a shadow, she was always behind him and he knew that this shadow was with him all along. I’ve always found Kokilaben to be very caring. Before Dhirubhai suffered a stroke in 1986, our families would often go to Khandala together. Kokilaben was the perfect wife. She would supervise the kitchen regularly and take great care of his breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snacks. I remember how, as a loving husband, Dhirubhai would keep calling her to come out and join us. There was a time when Dhirubhai got into controversy and had some trouble with the government in mid-’80s. She was very brave and handled it with such dignity. It’s amazing how she never loses her cool. She’s brought up her children so well. She’s the binding factor in the family. Kokilaben is a religious person; she derives her calmness and tolerance from there. I can understand her pain. I know it will be tough for her. But she has a wonderful family. She has her prayers. She has God, who will give her strength. While Dhirubhai’s is a rags to riches story, Kokilabhabhi is born spiritually-rich.

Tuesday, July 9, 2002

Vajpayee, Advani to meet to resolve Mamata-Nitish deadlock

Prime Minister Vajpayee is expected to meet Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today to try and reach a solution to the bifurcation of Eastern Railways issue. The issue has seen West Bengal politicians go up in arms cutting across party lines. Trinamool leader Mamata Bannerjee has refused to join the cabinet unless a review committee is set up. While, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar has refused a review saying the bifurcation is a cabinet decision. However, he admitted yesterday that it was the Prime Minister's prerogative to take any decision. Politicians from West Bengal are in the capital to protest the bifurcation, though the Trinamool Congress is boycotting the protest. Earlier, Trinamool MP Sudip Bandopadhyay had walked out of a Parliamentary Consultative Committee Meet on Railways in protest.

Tuesday, July 9, 2002

Reliance Stocks Rise

Mumbai/New Delhi, July 8: Reliance group pivotals Reliance Industries (RIL) and Reliance Petroleum (RPL) stood tall in the stockmarkets on Monday, gaining 3 and 3.4 per cent, respectively on the first trading day after the death of Reliance group chairman and founder Dhirajlal H Ambani or simply Dhirubhai, as the market knew him. A BSE broker said, The rally in the Reliance group stocks on Monday, despite Dhirubhai’s death, is another success story of the doyen. Monday’s gains are attributed to his contribution not only to the Reliance group or its investors but his grooming of his two sons Mukesh and Anil. Said the broker, The gains in Reliance group stocks are a reflection of the confidence among market players about the future of the Reliance group under the command of Mukesh and Anil. The patriarch of Indian Industry passed away late Saturday night, leaving behind a legacy worth Rs 62,000 crore. On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), RIL shares closed up Rs 7.80 at Rs 271.40 with a volume of 19.68 lakh shares. The stock opened at Rs 263.30 and immediately hit an intra-day low of Rs 260.55, but spurted immediately after solid buying support attributed to both retail and institutional participation. The stock hit a intra-day high of Rs 279 in afternoon trades. While RPL closed up 80 paise at Rs 24.40, the other Reliance group shares, Reliance Capital closed at Rs 56.85 up Rs 2.15, while Reliance Industrial Infrastructure closed up by Rs 1.30 at Rs 35.80. The newly acquired Reliance group company IPCL closed at Rs 152.10, up 20 paise. Reliance group was a successful bidder for the 26 per cent equity shares of IPCL at Rs 231. As a mark of respect to the market doyen, BSE observed a two-minute silence during the trading hours. According to Rajesh Gupta of Investsmart, The market has discounted Dhirubhai’s death in the past few days as the stock went down to Rs 263.3 on Friday. The stock is thus trading at lower levels. Arun Gupta of OJ Financials said, Markets are eagerly waiting for the quarterly results, which the company is expected to declare shortly. Much is also dependent on what view the major foreign financial institutions (FIIs) take on the two brothers managing the affairs of the company. Dealers said the Reliance group stocks had already reacted to the news of his critical illness in the last nine trading sessions, between June 25 and July 5. Dhirubhai was hospitalised on the night of June 24 following a cerebral stroke. Said broker Pradip Doshi, The market had slowly absorbed the news in the last 13 days. And in any case, over the last few years, Dhirubhai’s son Anil and Mukesh were managing the show. The confidence is also high on the Reliance group shares because in the last 10 years the growth momentum was at a very fast pace despite the receding involvement of Dhirubhai in the day to day working of the group. Mr Doshi said, There was huge support for the stock on Monday, as a number of retail investors had placed buy orders for RIL and RPL in the morning so that they could grab a bottom-fishing opportunity as well. We didn’t have any sell call on Monday, added Mr Doshi. Over the past 13 days till Friday, July 5, the market capitalisation of Reliance group shares Reliance Industries (RIL) and Reliance Petroleum (RPL) had been shaved off by about Rs 3,000 crore. During this period, the stock price of RIL slipped by 7.09 per cent while that of RPL shrunk by 7.36 per cent.

Tuesday, July 9, 2002

Reliance Stocks Rise

Tuesday, July 9, 2002

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